


Overseas

by Lanceeselhombre



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Altean Lance (Voltron), Altean Matt Holt (Voltron), Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Flower Shop & Tattoo Parlor, Angst, Anxious Keith (Voltron), Bed-Wetting, Bubble Bath, Cuddling & Snuggling, Diapers, Fluff and Angst, Galra Keith (Voltron), Galra Shiro (Voltron), Gay Keith (Voltron), Gay Lance (Voltron), Homophobia, Insecure Lance (Voltron), Keith and Shiro are Siblings, M/M, Multi, Nightmares, Not that kind of petting, Omorashi, Orphan Keith (Voltron), Overseas Au, Teen Romance, Wetting, petting
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-08-11
Updated: 2017-08-11
Packaged: 2018-12-14 01:03:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 36,361
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11772237
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lanceeselhombre/pseuds/Lanceeselhombre
Summary: Keith and Lance have become virtual best friends and now they want to meet in person. The problem is, they live overseas from each other.





	1. Chapter 1

I lay on my bed in the cool darkness of my room, the only source of light being the soft glow of my laptop as it sits open on my stomach. It is decently quiet in my room, the only sound being a mix of the soft hum of my air conditioner and the chirping of the grasshoppers outside my window. The AC is in a lull at the moment, having already done its job at cooling the room to a comfortable temperature that feels nice and crisp on my skin.

I am laying on my bed, which is large enough to take up most of my room, watching the screen of my laptop with rapt attention. I can see my Altean marks glowing a light forest green in my peripheral vision, expressing my happiness to the darkness that covers my room like a blanket.

I drum my fingertips on my keys excitedly, waiting as patiently as I can for the message I am anticipating. I would be doing something else, like blasting my favorite mixtape or cleaning or dancing while I wait instead of laying here and watching the screen like an almost boiling pot of water, but I am the only one awake in my house. It has to be close to one am, and I am getting tired from staying up so late when I am already sleep deprived.

But I can't fall asleep, because I'm waiting for Keith.

Keith is my best friend, I've known him for about a year now. When we first met it was in one of the many forums on FanZone.org. Me and Keith really like an older tv show name Voltron 84, and we both happened to be in the exact same forum for it out of the hundreds that were created. We were the only ones awake one night, so we started talking, and once our conversation started to stray from Voltron we moved it to pm where we could talk in private. And here we are now. A year later, talking every night until we fall asleep.

My laptop softly dings, and I sit up a little more to read the message that pops up in the corner of my screen. A happy smile spreads across my face as I read the message, my marks glowing more vibrant by the second. “Hey! I just got home :) Miss me?” It reads, and I can feel the happiness that fills every letter.

I immediately click on the box, causing the chat to expand across my screen to it's normal size. I set my fingers up on the keyboard to type my reply, “Yeah I missed you. Always do :)” I send right away, my smile widening in excitement when I get a reply almost immediately.

“Good to know.”

I am about to type in a reply about something that I have been wanting to do lately, but I see the little sign in the corner that means he is typing, so I let him send whatever he wants before I will send something else. It takes a moment, but the message comes through. “A person came in today wanting a tramp stamp. I didn't know those were still a thing.”

I laugh out loud, my voice a little too loud for the quietness of my room. Keith works at a tattoo parlor in New York. He always tells me interesting tattoos people ask for and tells me about weird people that come in. I never get tired of listening, because it's always something different.

“Neither did I.” I reply. I thought tramp stamps had become less popular over the years. “What tramp stamp did they get?” I wonder, yawning a little into my hand. I am tired, I don't know how much longer I can stay up with Keith. I kind of feel bad, because I know he looks forward to our nightly talks just like I do, maybe even more.

Keith has a lot of anxiety and depression, just like me. He lives with his older brother, Shiro, in a small apartment near the college Shiro attends. Shiro is Keith’s comfort, he can't do much without him. He’s socially anxious but also afraid to be alone, which leaves Shiro as his one and only home.

The only problem was that Shiro works the late shifts at the tattoo parlor, according to what Keith has told me. While Shiro works Keith is home alone, scared and impatiently waiting for his brother to come back. Once Keith told me that, i offered to stay up with him at night until Shiro came home to keep him company. At first Keith refused-it would be four am where I lived by the time Shiro came back, and he felt guilty asking me to stay up that late just to comfort him-but after a lot of persuading he let me do it. And I love it.

Keith responds to me. “It said, ‘no glass in the ass.’” I can feel him giggling on the other side of my screen. Keith is sweet, and definitely the only guy I know that giggles instead of laughs. He sounds like a soft person, although I don't know if that conclusion is based off of our conversations or his anxiety and depression. All I know is I like Keith.

A lot.

I lean back into my pillows and sigh. Keith’s day sounds much better than mine. I work at a local flower shop that my family owns. I love my job; Alteans are known to be good with plant life, and there's a certain beauty to watching the flowers grow that keeps me coming back to work every day.

But I work with my family, and they're less than appreciative of me. I came out of the closet a few months ago, when I started realizing I like Keith. They did not take it well. And they still don't.

“I’m glad you had fun today.” I respond, wishing that my days could be half as fun as his. If I knew how to tattoo and didn't have such an affinity for flowers I would work at a tattoo parlor just like him. Maybe it would be more fun.

I wait a moment to see if he wants to respond with something else, but he stays silent. I take a deep breath in, and then out, and I begin to type again. As I press send the glow from my marks transitions to a tense orange.

“I wish I could meet you.”

Me and Keith have both said that we wanted to meet multiple times; but it won't be easy or simple. He lives in New York. I live in England. We live in time zones with the difference of five hours. My parents won't let me fly to America or take a boat there just to meet a friend, especially if they knew it was someone who I want to make my boyfriend.

Keith gets sea-sick, so he can't take a boat. He’s in a lower class than me, so he doesn't have the money for a plane ticket, let alone two-he won't be able to come to England without Shiro. He gets anxious enough being home alone, he would have a panic attack on a plane by himself.

Not to mention his nightmares. He told me that his parents passed away in a car crash when he was little, and ever since he has had debilitating nightmares. Normally Shiro is there to calm him down, but sometimes he isn't. When he isn't, Keith calls me. If he flew alone he wouldn't have either of those options. He would be completely alone, and I know that terrifies him.

My laptop softly dings again, and I almost miss the sound because my air conditioner clicks on again, filling the semi-silence of my room with a consistent swishing of air as the fan speeds up inside. “Yeah, I wish.” I know his response isn't sarcastic. He means what he says.

I bit my lip and rethink my decision, staring at my laptop screen. Just to check, I open another tab and log into my bank account and check my balance. Just enough for two plane tickets. I’ve been saving this money to leave and get my own place, so I can finally leave my parent’s house, but seeing Keith is more important. If I can meet him in person and get to confess to him, regardless of his reaction, then I can wait a few more months to move out.

With my mind made up, I reply to Keith. “I want to bring you here for a week.” I type, my fingers dancing over the keyboard as I decide my next words carefully. “I have enough money, I've been saving my wages. Your brother can come too.” I know that if I don't add that part he will immediately turn down my offer.

I don't get a reply for a few minutes. I can tell he is thinking. I see the icon that means he is typing appear, and it fades multiple times before I get a response. “Are you sure? I mean I would love to! But that's a lot of money, I don't want to make you pay for that.”

I smile, happy to know that he has my well being in mind and asks for clarification instead of automatically taking the offer. In the corners of my vision I can see some pink swirl with the orange. He’s thoughtful, it's one of the many things I like about him. “I have the money Keith. I just want to meet you so badly.” I click send, my heart swelling with happiness when I get an answer not even three seconds later.

“Then yes! I would love to come over!”

I have to cover my mouth with my hands to keep from yelling out loud in excitement, but I don't have to cover the bright green that flushes my cheeks. He took my offer! We are going to meet! I am finally going to see Keith’s face and be able to hug him and tell him how much I love him. I am finally going to be able to feel Keith hug me back, and if fate allows it, hear him say the same words in return.

We are going to meet.

Within seconds the green changes to dark orange. I am suddenly overcome with curiosity about what his species is, and I grow a little afraid. I hope with all my heart he is Altean, and not Galra. I am not racist. But my parents are. They already disapprove of me being gay; if they find out I am in love with a male Galra, or possibly even a human, they will disown me. Altean is my best bet.

“Then let me know when you are free and I'll buy the tickets ;)” As soon as I send my reply I pull out my phone and set a reminder to tell my friend, Matt, that Keith will be coming over. While Keith is in England he and Shiro will be living with Matt at his place, and I will stay over Matt’s as well. I don't want my family meeting Keith right away, I need time with him first. I want to get to know Keith in person before I even think of exposing him to my strictly traditional and judgemental parents.

I yawn again, this time the sides of my vision blurring with tears. I am barely awake, if I stay up any later I will fall asleep as I am. If my parents find me on this website, chatting someone overseas they will revoke my laptop and possibly my phone. I can't afford that now, I have to know when Keith decides to come to England.

I shake the sleep from my mind so I can let Keith know I won't be able to stay up with him tonight. “I hate to be boring Keith but I'm super tired. Can we pick up the conversation tomorrow?” I feel bad leaving him alone when his brother isn't home yet, but it's the lesser of two evils. He will forgive me if he hasn't already by the time he reads my message.

Keith responds quickly, and he isn't upset. But he does have a condition that makes me smile. “You better get some sleep so we can talk extra long tomorrow. I want to be up late.” I am more than happy to oblige to his wishes.

“I promise that I will stay up late for you tomorrow. Night Keith. X” I respond, accidentally sending the ‘x.’ I hope he doesn't take it as an intentional mark. If he doesn't feel the same way I do, I would prefer to get rejected in person and not over the chat.

Luckily, he doesn't seem to take notice of the X. “Thank you, I can't wait. Goodnight.”

.o.O.o.

Work the next morning is boring. It is slow at the flower shop, and even though I am the only one working for the next few hours I have nothing to do. The occasional customer comes in that I can talk with, but for the most part I am alone.

And I am extremely bored.

I look up at the clock that hangs above the front door; it's two in the afternoon. Keith should be awake by now, hopefully. I pull out my phone and open the mobile app for FanZone and message Keith, hoping he will respond. I talked him into getting the mobile app as well a few weeks ago, but we haven't used it yet to talk. I hope he remembered to get the app. “Good morning! Work is dead so we could talk now?”

I put my phone away as another customer walks in. She buys a bouquet of hydrangeas and stays for a few minutes to have a conversation with me, but ultimately she leaves. It is another few minutes of bored silence before I feel my phone buzz in my back pocket, causing the marks on my cheeks to glow green in hopeful excitement.

Keith remembered to get the app. “Yeah, I have time. I don't have to be to work for another hour.” He sends, causing a smile to spread across my lips. An hour is enough for me.

He sends another message a few seconds after the first. “I already told Shiro, he said it was okay with him. If it’s okay with you we can fly over Friday.”

This time I let myself squeal excitedly. Friday is three days away! It is such a short time to wait, but it feels like these next three days are going to last an eternity. It takes me a minute before I can calm down enough to type in a reply. “Friday is good. We’ll be staying at my friend Matt’s place. It's big enough for us all :) I just need to buy the tickets.”

Since I have no customers to attend to, I open a tab on my internet browser and buy the plane tickets. I'm done before another customer comes in, looks around and chooses a small basil plant. I ring her up and she leaves immediately, so I take my phone out again to tell Keith i got the tickets.

When I open the app again Keith has already sent me a message. “Oh really? What's the sleeping situation going to be like?” It reads, and a bit of anxiety blooms in my chest, along with the murky orange that spreads across my cheeks. Why is he asking? Does he not want to sleep in the same bed as me? Or maybe he always slept with Shiro and is anxious to have to be away from him.

I try to ignore my rampaging thoughts while I respond to Keith. “Matt said him and Shiro would share and we could have the room with the bathroom next to it. Matt thinks we’re going to talk all night :D” I add the last statement to make it seem like I'm not nervous. When I told Matt earlier in the day that Keith and Shiro are coming to England, he immediately had where everyone was sleeping planned out. Mainly because Matt and Shiro are dating. What are the chances?

Before Keith has the chance to reply I send him a screenshot of the tickets I just bought. “You can pick them up at the airport :)”

I expect a quick reply, maybe a simple ‘thank you’ or a statement that will lead our conversation in another direction. But Keith doesn't reply, not for awhile. The spark of nervousness that is already blooming inside me flares.

Why is he taking so long? It has not been an hour yet, so he can't be on his way to work. Is he having second thoughts? Has he changed his mind?

Before my thoughts can travel into anything darker, I get a nervous reply. “Um…..there's something I have to tell you…..but I don't want to do it while I'm at work, I have to leave soon.”

What does he want to tell me?

My fingers shake as I type in my next message. “You're not gonna murder me because I want to sleep in the same room as you, are you?” I send, my words a horrible attempt at a joke. I try to make my replies seem normal; I don't want him thinking I'm having second thoughts either. He thinks I'm one hundred percent excited-which I am, but I am also terribly anxious-and I don't want that to change.

“No, it's not that. I just have a problem I haven't told you about yet…..It's kind of embarrassing.” I sense the same amount of anxiety in his response as I feel right now. It comforts me a little that I am not the only one that is nervous, but not much, because I don't want Keith to be nervous. He already struggles day in and day out with anxiety, I feel bad knows that this trip is going to cause him more pain.

It's supposed to be an exciting trip. We both want to make the most of it, because we both know this may be the only week we ever see each other in person. And yet we are both nervously awaiting Friday. I wish these three days could be over already. The suspense is eating away at both of us.

Trying to assume the best, I reply to Keith. “Okay...tell me when you get here? I don't care what problems you have. You're my friend. Always will be. Even if you do snore like a truck.” I mean every word I type. This time the joke is more genuine, and I can tell Keith notices in his response.

“I would kill myself if I snored like that.”

I laugh at his joke, feeling my anxiety start to melt away. Keith always knows how to make me laugh, even if his jokes are more crude than mine. “But I really want to tell you before we meet. It'll be easier if we aren't face to face.” I can only imagine what he wants to tell me if he doesn't think he can say it to my face.

My anxiety is returning, so I try to change the subject. I don't want the mood to sour any more than it already has. “Then tell me now. I won't judge you. But in the name of being completely honest - I like to sleep with a face mask on. So if you're gonna laugh I need to know.” I reply, trying to make him feel better. I don't think he’ll laugh, but I hope I cheer him up.

“I wish I could wear a face mask. It would be fun to try.” Keith replies. I vaguely wonder why he says he ‘can't’ specifically, but I don't give it much thought.

Instead, I give him an offer. “I could give you one. I make my own.” It is more fun to make them myself, and I know what's in them. Depending on what he needs when- if- we decide to do face masks, I can change the contents of the mask to fit his needs better. Regardless it will probably contain lavender and mint; I know he doesn't sleep well.

The mood finally lightens with Keith’s reply. “That sounds great.”

He sends something else a minute later, a little more serious. “I'll tell you what I wanted to say when I get home. I don't want to do it at work.” That is understandable. I can wait.

“Of course. We can talk more tonight. Maybe we can do an audio call too?” We would obviously do it after Keith says whatever he needs to, since it probably won't be easier to say it out loud if he doesn't feel comfortable saying it to my face.

We have never called before, I don't know what his voice sounds like. I am so curious to know, and I am sure he feels the same way. I hope he accepts my request.

And he does, but not how I expect. “If I haven't already died of embarrassment by then.” His message makes me chuckle despite myself.

“I've always wanted to talk to a ghost :p” I reply, smiling because we’ve finally started joking like we usually do. I never like the tense and serious talks, but they are necessary at some point.

“You might just get your wish.”

I want to reply with something to assure him, because whatever he wants to tell me is still obviously eating away at him, but he replies again, and now I have to wait. “I'm at work. I'll chat you as soon as I get home.”

.o.O.o.

Fourteen hours later, Keith is online again. I am laying down in my room like the night before-it is how I usually wait for Keith to come on. My marks are a gentle orange, my nervousness about what Keith wants to say hasn't faded. And it won't until I know what it is.

I send a message as soon as I see that Keith is online. “Hey, miss me?” I want our conversation to start on a friendly note, not on a serious one. I don't like serous.

Keith responds a minute later. “Yes I did.” It's short, but that's because he’s typing again right after. “Are you ready for me to tell you what my problem is?” He asks, getting right to the point. I can tell he wants to get this over with. I can also tell he’s nervous, more so than me.

“Only if you're ready to tell me.” I respond. I don't want to force him into telling me, he already feels bad enough about this. Whatever it is.

Our conversation stalls for at least ten minutes before Keith even starts typing. It's another twenty before he finishes and sends the message. He’s extremely anxious, and it only makes me worry more about what he wants to say.

“Okay…..so you know I have nightmares.” The message begins. “Almost every night.” Yes, I am very aware of this. I don't always talk to him when he gets them, but if Shiro isn't there to calm him down he always chats me. I keep our conversations going with jokes, even with his short replies, filled with errors. I finish reading the message. “Well, uh, when I have nightmares…….I wet the bed.”

That was it?

I honestly don't know what I was expecting, but I wasn't expecting that. But that isn't a big deal to me, even if it seems like a really big deal to him. It takes me a second to figure out why he’s so anxious: it's because we’ll be sharing a bed while he stays in England. He's scared he’s going to gross me out.

I reply to him before he can worry any longer. “It's okay. We all have accidents. And if that happens let me know and I'll change the sheets while you shower when you're calmed down.” I am pretty experienced with dealing with a wet bed, my younger sister wets the bed all the time. That probably desensitizes me to the situation, but I take that as a positive.

My laptop softly dings with Keith’s reply. “Im literally crying. I'm so happy you're not disgusted.” It reads, confirming my suspicions. He is just terrified that I'm going to not want him to see him anymore, that I'm going to call off the trip because I don't want to sleep with a bedwetter. But I really don't care. It's nothing a shower won't fix. My laptop dings again. “I have a bed cover so I don't ruin the mattress.”

I smile at his thought. He’s so sweet. “You don't need to bring it. My little sister had a few she doesn't use. We can use them. Hope you like butterflies and unicorns ;)” I reply, completely serious but also hoping my words will make Keith laugh. I really don't care about my mattress, but if Keith is used to sleeping with a cover he probably won't be comfortable without one. I am pretty sure he won't mind using my sisters’ covers, but I also won't be offended if he doesn't want to use them and would prefer to bring his own.

“Lucky for you unicorns are my favorite mythical animal.” He replies, telling me in his own way he’s okay with using the covers at my place. He sends something else that makes me laugh, my marks transitioning from their crude orange to a light green. “I hope a unicorn impales me with its horn, killing me instantly.” He is such a stale meme.

“How about you don't die on me?” I send despite knowing he is joking. Keith makes a lot of jokes that have to do with death, and even though I know he doesn't mean them, I still worry just a little. So whenever he jokes like this, I reply with something that reminds him I don't want him dead.

Changing the topic, I send, “Did you think more about a phone call.” I hope the answer is yes, and I hope that he agrees to a call. I can't wait to know what he sounds like, and I can't wait to know what he looks like.

I have a vague idea of what he looks like: dark hair, skinny, average height. That is what he has told me, but he hasn't gone into much detail. He knows about the same amount of information about me: I have brunette hair, I am skinny as well, and I am tall.

Keith responds. “I won't. But wouldn't it be cool to die like that? It's poetic. And yeah, I want to call. But I'll be doing something, so if you hear clicking in the background that's me.”

I barely have time to finish reading what he typed before he calls me. I answer on my phone, angling the camera away from myself so I can disable it. Once it is disabled I put my phone down so I can put my laptop away, noticing that he has his camera off as well. Good, i don't want to spoil the surprise. I want to see him for the first time in person.

I decide to speak first. “Keith?” I say, my voice sounding loud in the quiet darkness of my room. It's even darker without my laptop’s screen, and the small amount of light coming from my phone can't compare. I very obviously sound nervous, not the first impression I want to make.

I hear the smallest hint of a laugh. “Hey Lance.” It takes me a second to realize that that soft, smooth, surprisingly high voice is Keith. He sounds nervous too, but it is barely noticeable over the gentle rumble in his voice that I can't help but notice resembles a cat’s purr.

There’s also a faint clicking- it actually sounds more like snipping- in the background, but Keith warned me about that so I don't pay it much attention. I'm too captivated by his voice to care about it anyway.

“How's my bed buddy?” He asks, his question ending in a nervous giggle. I am pretty sure my heart stops for a second, and I am certain my brain does, because he just giggled. He sounds so cute.

I force my brain to reboot so I can respond. “I'm good...it feels so good to hear you…” I say, extreme joy leaking into my voice. The sides of my eyesight are glowing the brightest green possible, I literally can't be happier. “How’s my bed buddy?” I ask in return, smiling wide.

There is a faint pause where I'm sure Keith blushes. “I'm tired. I can't sleep when all I can think about I going to your place~” He purrs, his voice rumbling in a beautiful, smooth way that makes me wonder how he does it. I have never heard anyone talk like that.

“Same here...I'm so excited to finally meet you.” And I am sure he feels the same. We’ve been talking about this day for a few months now, although neither of us really expected it to actually happen. Now that it was it felt like a dream come true. “I'm going to hug you so much.” I warn. I hope Keith likes hugs.

I can hear Keith’s smile in his next words. “I have been told I'm very soft.” Although there is something in his voice that sounds a little off, like well masked anxiety. I wonder why that statement would cause him to be anxious.

“Well then I shall cuddle you all the time.” I reply. Even without the comment of Keith being soft I would still want to cuddle with him all the time. I always feel a little lonely only chatting Keith, I prefer to be able to touch whoever I talk with. To remind myself they are still there. “I love cuddling.”

“I do too.” Keith’s voice smooths out even more, and the soft rumbling from earlier fades away. It makes me wonder if the rumble means he is nervous.

I smile wider, enough to make my cheeks hurt. But I don't care. I let myself be happy. “We can cuddle a lot then.” But I also want to go out and do things with him, so we can't cuddle the whole time. Although it would be nice. “Maybe we could stay up all night and cuddle and talk?” I propose. Typical girl’s sleepover, I know.

“So you like pillow talk?” Keith asks to confirm. He pauses for a second and then adds, “Sounds fun.” He goes quiet for a little bit, and the clicking sound slows down, almost like he is being more careful with whatever he is doing. He is probably concentrating.

I fill in the silence. “Yeah, I do. It makes more sense. We could fall asleep together. Maybe I could stop the nightmares.” I had been hoping ever since Keith agreed to come over that I could help him get a break from the nightmares. I don't want him to have to suffer like he does, and it is all I can do to hope that my presence next to him while he sleeps will help him sleep more peacefully.

Keith stays quiet for a few more minutes until the clicking stops. It sounds like he has finished whatever he was working on. “Maybe.” He says, although I can hear that there is no hope in his words. He doesn't believe that anything will help. He told me that he has tried everything he could think of. But nothing really helps. I wish something did though.

Keith changes the subject. “Do you like cats?” He wonders. In the background I can hear footsteps. Keith is probably walking to another room. I can't help but notice that the sound is very muted and soft. Maybe he has carpeted floors?

Instead of questioning Keith, I answer his question. “I find cats adorable. One of my neighbors has one and it is so fluffy! I love it!” I would own a cat if my parents let me. But they don't want a fluff ball running around the house and getting fur on everything.

“Do you like cats then?” I assume. He probably does if he asked if I did.

Keith breaths out a laugh as he responds. “Definitely.” I wonder if he owns a pet. “Favorite breed?”

I am kind of expecting this question, it almost always comes after the first. “Norwegian forest cat.” I reply without missing a beat. “They're little balls of floof.” I repress a happy squeal as Keith giggles again at my word choice. “I wish I had a cat.”

“I have a cat.” Keith says, answering my unspoken question. “His name is Bob.” Keith giggles again. “And before you criticize his name I was five!” He says quickly, his voice accompanied by the rumbling again. But now it sounds a little louder and happier. I am not sure how I can hear a difference, but I do.

I would never criticize his pets name. “But anyway he was a tuxedo.” He continues. “He was a little floof ball even though he was supposed to be a shorthair. He loved pulling on my ears to annoy me, but when he wasn't doing that he was cuddling with me.” The comment about the ears seems to hint at the fact that he has longer ears, which means he isn't human. But that leaves a 50/50 chance he is Galra or Altean. Both races have long ears.

I honestly do not care if Keith ends up being Galra. But if he is, he can't meet my family. They will harass him and disown me, and I am not ready for either of those things. And if he is Galra, he is basically an anthropomorphic cat. I have no qualms about that. It would actually explain the sounds from his phone that resembled purring.

But I am getting ahead of myself. The way Keith’s voice sounds doesn't mean anything when it comes to his species. His voice is just unique. And I love it.

I listen intently until he is finished talking. “That's the best name.” I laugh. The laugh turns into a yawn, but I try to keep Keith from hearing it. I promised to stay up late tonight and I intend to keep that promise. “I want to take his spot.”

“You definitely want to. Although he doesn't sleep with me at night because I'm too loud.” Keith says. He doesn't have to explain to me that ‘I'm too loud’ means that he screams and cries when he has nightmares loud enough to scare the cat away.

My voice softens and my marks fade to a softer shade of green that swirls with a determined light blue. I want to be able to comfort him and remind him I don't care that he has nightmares. I don't care that he is a bedwetter. “I don't mind how loud you are.” I really don't. I wish that he believes me.

Keith doesn't really answer, which causes the blue of my marks to darken a little. Instead he yawns. “I'm tired.”

I smile and laugh a little. He is always tired. He doesn't sleep enough. “So am I Keith.” I say softly. I close my eyes and listen to Keith breathe, which I just notice I can hear. He probably has his phone resting on his chest where it can pick up such a soft sound. His breathing is slow and relaxed, which makes me happy. I'm the reason he is this calm without his brother in the house.

Keith and I don't really talk after that. Keith is getting tired, I could tell by how quiet he was being even if he hadn't said he was tired. Keith doesn't like silence, it makes him feel like he is alone.

So I sing to him. It's in Spanish, so he doesn't understand anything I'm singing, but I am sure he likes the tune. I decide to sing in that language specifically because I don't know many songs in English, and if i sing in Altean he will know that's my heritage. I don't want to give away the surprise before we meet. I want him to find out when we see each other face to face.

I don't know what time it is when I fall asleep, but I fall asleep with the words of a lullaby on my lips. I hope Keith is already asleep when I drift off because I want to keep my promise so bad. But I can't stay awake any longer.

My phone dies sometime in the middle of the night, so I don't wake up when he has a nightmare and screams and cries. I don't hear Shiro rush in and calm him, and I definitely don't hear him pick his phone up after it all and ask me if I am still there.

 


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Keith and Lance's goes better and worse than they expected.

I get out of Matt’s car and squint against the bright daylight, protecting my eyes from the damaging rays of the sun. It is hot today- just hot enough to feel too warm but not enough to make me sweat. It is a dry heat, so it doesn't feel too bad. I can hear the mingled voices and sounds of everyone at the airport, but it is only a faint hum from the distance away I am from it. The parking lot is a lot more comfortable than the chaos of the airport.

I am wearing a pair of light wash jeans and an off white t shirt with my favorite baseball cap on and facing backwards. Along with my clothes I am wearing makeup- and a lot of it. I have on a lot of foundation, but it isn't just on my face. It covers my neck and arms as well. I don't normally wear makeup, but I decided that today would be an exception.

I decided earlier today that I don't want Keith knowing I am Altean right away. I know it makes me seem like I don't trust Keith, but that isn't why I am hiding my marks. I am anxious to meet Keith, even though I am excited and happy to finally meet him. But the anxiety is causing my marks to burn an intense orange instead of a happy green. If Keith knows the color scale for Altean marks, I don't want him being aware of how tense I am for our first meeting. I want him to think that I'm simply happy to see him. Not that I'm bursting with anxiety just like he is.

I look up at Matt; he is wearing his favorite kingdom hearts shirt and knee high shorts, his brunette hair flowing free around his ears. He is covering his eyes with one hand and surveying the many doors that lead inside the airport- his other hand is resting on my arm and offering me support. I am extremely nervous about today. According to the last message Keith sent me, their plane arrived a half hour ago. They are working on getting their luggage and getting out of the airport at the moment. Matt is looking for Shiro, since he knows what he looks like. Neither of us know what Keith looks like.

I look down at my phone and stare at the screen anxiously. I can't wait until Keith tells me they have their luggage and are on their way out of the building. The suspense is killing me. Keith and I are less than a mile away from each other, but we still have to wait to see each other face to face.

My phone buzzes, and I click the notification faster than I ever have in my life. It's short and sloppy; Keith is really scared right now. He doesn't like going public places because of his social anxiety. So a large place like the airport terrifies him. “We aee coning ouy.” We are coming out.

I lock my phone and put it in my pocket. I don't have to relay the message to Matt because he can guess what it said based on my actions. “They're headed over to us?” Matt assumes, looking down at me and smiling.

I sigh and nod, although I don't know what emotion the sigh is supposed to express. I feel overwhelmed with joy and happiness and anxiety and fear and dread. I feel like I will explode by the time Matt spots Shiro. This feels like it is taking much longer than it should be.

Did they get stuck doing something? Did Keith get hurt? Is he having a panic attack? Can they not find us? Did I give them the wrong-

“SHIRO!!!” Matt hollers, taking his hand off of my shoulder to cup his hands around his mouth as he calls out to his boyfriend. I try to follow his gaze. And I see them.

Matt has told me about Shiro, so I can assume that the tall, buff, raven-haired man running towards us is Shiro. He has a very thin layer of lavender colored fur covering his skin and warm gold eyes with no irises. His Galra ears are perked high and surprisingly fluffy, but his long tail is fluffier- almost like a Persian’s. His clothes are all black: black pants, black sneakers, and a black tank top.

He slams into Matt, almost knocking him off balance. “MATT HOW’VE YA BEEN?!” He cries, hugging Matt tightly around the waist and picking him up off the ground, spinning him around a few times before he decides to loosen his grip. Once he stops spinning I can see the wide grin plastered on his face and the way his tail is wagging hard and fast in excitement.

Matt laughed and hugged Shiro back, grinning almost as wide as his partner. “I'm good Shiro. Fuck I missed you.” He pulls away just enough to start kissing Shiro, not seeming to mind the very sharp and very long and very deadly fangs poking from the man’s smile.

I turn away from them to look for Keith. And if I am being honest, my heart drops a little and swells at the same time when I see him, not knowing what to do. Keith is much shorter than Shiro, at least by a head and a half. He is only a few inches shorter than me. And he’s Galra too.

But he’s so much cuter than his brother. His fur, unlike Shiro’s light and short fur, is longer and darker; about four centimeters of violet fur covers his skin wherever it is visible. His ears are bigger than Shiro’s and they almost look too big for his head, but it's cute and not odd; they make him resemble a kitten who has yet to grow into them. His tail has less fur than Shiro’s and looks like it would barely reach the back of his knee if it was relaxed, but I can't know for sure because the appendage is tucked close to his stomach in fear. His ears are also laying back against his skull, twitching occasionally as they pick up sounds.

All of that is alluring to look at, especially when I have not seen many Galra in my life, but his eyes are what catch my attention the most. They are solid gold, just like his older brother’s, but from this close up I can see a faint ring of murky yellow that outlines where his irises should be. And they're staring straight at me.

Around his eyes the rest of his face is pinched up in worry. His eyebrows are furrowed together and pulling slightly upwards, but only just barely. His nose is crinkled every so slightly, but it's soft. The sides of his thin lips are turned down in a tense frown, but not far enough to imply sorrow. He’s obviously scared, although I don't know if it is a result of the airport or the fact that he is standing in front of me.

A deep magenta mullet frames his face cutely, but it is so dark it almost looks black. He is wearing black skinny jeans and a grey t shirt and some black and white boots that match pretty well. He doesn't have on any jewelry, but his fur looks like it is styled. His fur is longer on his hands and tapers gradually to his elbows, almost like gloves. Under his eyes there are small designs in his fur, which must mean he shaved them there. They're beautiful and look like they follow the prints for a tattoo.

I am only slightly aware that I have been staring for some time. But I can't help it with how beautiful and almost doll like Keith looks. I don't talk because there is nothing I can say to express my awe. I don't know what I expected Keith to look like, but I don't think I ever guessed he would look so cute.

Because I am taking forever to regain my bearings, Keith is the first to speak. And it is with the same smooth, high pitched, and sweet voice I heard over the phone three days ago. “Hi.” He greets, offering a small smile. It is genuine, although the sides of his lips are still turned down a little. He has fangs too, although his are much shorter and appear to be almost dull compared to Shiro’s. They're baby fangs.

Seeing his smile causes me to do the same. I let my smile grow for a few seconds as I look over Keith again before I speak. “Hi.” Keith doesn't seem to be anything other than anxiously excited and it causes my own anxiety to melt away, leaving only pure happiness running in my veins. I can't believe that the teen I've been talking with for a year is the cute Galra boy in front of me.

Keith lets out a short giggle at my voice, his worried look fading when he sees my smile. It is replaced with a genuinely happy expression as he let's go of his elbows and opens his arms in an offered hug. “I did say I was soft.” He reminds me, referencing what he said to me earlier in our chats.

I don't hesitate to dive into the hug. I am amazed by how soft his fur is. It feels like silk and is warm, but somehow not smothering in the heat of the day. I bury my face into his shoulder and breathe in shakily. He smells faintly of strawberries. Not the fake stuff that care products tend to smell like. He smells like actual strawberries, fully ripe and sweet.

I feel tears dampen my cheeks, but I can't stop them even if I want to. I'm overwhelmed by the lingering adrenaline from my anxiety and the joy of seeing Keith for the first time and the sensation of him in my arms, soft, warm, and-

He starts purring. Oh my god, I can feel the gentle rumble of his purrs in my chest like they're my own and it makes me cry harder. This is the sound I heard over the phone in his voice. That voice in my head was right. His purring is seamless and smooth just like his voice, although it sounds lighter and somehow softer.

We hug for a long time, mainly because we have both been waiting for this for so long and we don't want to let go. But I am also clinging to him because I just can't stop crying. He doesn't seem to mind even though I'm sure some of the makeup on my face is running and ruining his shirt and fur. I hope it doesn't wash away enough to show my marks as much as I hope that it won't stain Keith’s shirt.

I eventually stop crying and feel calm enough to pull away. Sure enough the shoulder of Keith’s shirt is coated with caramel colored foundation. But he doesn't seem to care at all as he smiles up at me. There is no surprise in his face, so he must not be able to see my marks.

Even though I'm the one that has been crying for the past few minutes, I ask Keith, “Are you okay?” Despite how happy he looks, his ears and tail are still in fearful positions. I can safely assume it is because of the airport now and not because of me. I want to touch his ears or stroke his cheek or something to comfort him when he’s still so distraught over our surroundings, but I don't really know much about Galra. I am afraid I might do something wrong and offend or hurt him.

Keith is quiet for a moment, but his silence doesn't worry me because he is still purring happily. He nods. “I'm okay.” Without skipping a beat he asks me the same question in return and he honestly has the right to ask when I probably look like a train wreck. “How are you?”

“I don't know.” I answer honestly, still feeling a little overwhelmed. But it's more manageable now, so I'm not bawling my eyes out anymore. It is about time we get to Matt’s house, because it's getting late and I am sure everyone is hungry. “Um we’re going to go to Matt’s house to drop everything off and then we’ll get something to eat.”

Keith nods and looks away from me for the first time to look at his brother. He taps his arm, which prompts Shiro to stop making out with Matt and start paying attention to his brother again. He lets go of Matt and wraps his arms around Keith instead, one hand resting on his head and massaging the base of Keith's ears. Keith purrs in response and gently headbutts Shiro’s jaw with his the crown of his head. He has to stand in his toes to do it, which makes me smile. “Are you ready to get going?” Shiro asks, lowering his head to make it easier for Keith to rub up against him. It must be a Galra thing.

While Keith talks with Shiro, I can see his backside now. There isn't anything worth noting compared to his front, but I do notice the way his tail is curved. It is still in between his legs, but the base is curved in an unnatural hook that honestly makes me cringe. That doesn't look comfortable. Why is it like that?

Keith pulls away a little and nods. “Yeah.” He leaves Shiro’s arms and walks over to stand directly next to me. His arm brushes up against mine and I feel his silky soft fur brush across my skin again. I don't think I will ever get used to that.

Matt motions for us to follow him and leads us to the car. It's a basic dark green Rav 4 that his parents let him have when they got a new car. It's older but in good shape. Shiro packs his and Keith’s luggage in the trunk while Matt, Keith, and I get in the car: Matt at the wheel and me and Keith in the back.

I buckle myself in on the right and look over at Keith. He looks totally different now; Keith’s ears are now high on his head and alert and his tail is resting on the middle seat between us, thumping gently but happily against the fabric. He looks much more relaxed now that we aren't out in the open. Although the weird curve in the base of his tail is still there.

Keith buckles himself in and looked up at me. “So is it just going to be the four of us?” He asks, a small amount of anxiety mixing with into his expression. It seems like he is still worried about having to be around a lot of people he doesn't know.

I nod. “Yeah. But Shiro and Matt will be off doing their own thing a lot so we can have some alone time.” I do my best to not imply anything with my statement. Matt knows I like Keith so he told Shiro and they are trying to set us up. Not necessarily on a date, but they are trying to give us time with each other to bond more intimately without them around. In a soft advance I rest my hand on his and stroke the back on his knuckles with my thumb. I look him in the eye to see what his reaction will be.

Keith looks away and nods. He takes a second to process, but he ultimately turns his hand over and gently grips mine. For the first time I notice his claws; they're about three centimeters long and are dulled. Nothing like human or Altean nails, but they aren't razor sharp knives like I've heard my parents claim Galra claws to be. “I'm ready for some pillow talk tonight.” He said softly, his voice only loud enough for me to hear.

Shiro gets in the passenger seat and buckles himself in. He turns around to face us and smirks. “Alright kiddies, anyone need to potty?” He looks Keith dead in the eye and wiggles his eyebrows. He’s playing.

Keith smiles despite himself and looks at the ceiling of the car. He groans a laugh and covers his eyes and shakes his head slowly. “Shiro.” He says, completely exaggerated and sounding so done with his brother. “Why.”

Shiro chuckles and turns around to face the windshield, not answering Keith’s question. “Gets you every time.” His statement makes me feel better; it's an inside joke they have and it isn't just me missing something in the conversation. And it seems like a very old inside joke based on Keith’s reaction.

Before the car can start I decide to unbuckle my seatbelt and slide over to the middle seat in a very abrupt decision. I want to sit directly next to Keith. I gently lift Keith’s tail first and move our hands so I don't hurt him and I lay his tail in my lap and rest our hands on my thigh. I buckle myself in again and lean back into the car seat, ready for the long ride to the house.

Keith immediately rests his head on my shoulder and relaxes into me. His ears brush against my neck and chin and tickle my skin. He also lifts his tail and swishes it behind himself so he can turn on his hip without sitting on it, allowing himself to lean more comfortably into me. I wrap my arm around his shoulders and rest my cheek on his head, being careful to not pinch one of his ears.

I smile because I am happy that we can finally cuddle like this and we don't have to communicate through a screen anymore. Even if it is only for a week. “You were right...you are soft.” I comment, remembering that I never said so after our first hug. I was too busy crying.

I feel Keith’s cheek tighten on my shoulder and I can guess that he is smiling. He starts to purr again and responds, “Thanks. I try.” Keith’s voice is void of sarcasm. He isn't joking about it. He’s told me before that he has an extensive beauty routine, but he never went into detail about it. Now I know why.

I smile a little wider at him and reposition my head so my jaw isn't pressing uncomfortably into his skull. My fingers gently play with the soft fur on Keith’s arm, feeling the airy texture of the stuff. I wonder how his fur can be so light feeling but still keep him warm.

Keith purrs louder in response to the small amount of touch. He moves his head, so I move mine to keep us from hitting each other; but instead of Keith just repositioning his head or pulling away to sit up straight he starts rubbing his neck against mine. I freeze for a second, not sure what he is doing. He is acting like this is normal, so it must be something Galra do when they are happy. I don't want to tell him to stop if this is something he usually does, so I relax and let him rub against me. It feels good anyway, his neck is covered in fur just like the rest of him, so it feels like an affectionate cat is rubbing against me. Which is essentially what Keith is.

After a few seconds Keith stops rubbing on my neck and goes back to laying his head on my shoulder. I give him a few seconds to get comfortable before I lay my head on his again and get comfortable myself. We stay like that for a long time: cuddling quietly and enjoying each other’s presence.

But it ends when Keith moves his head again. I lift mine as well, half expecting him to start rubbing his neck on mine again, but he doesn't do that. Instead he shifts to sit correctly in his seat and leans forward to talk to Matt. “How long does it take to get to your house?” He wonders, his voice low and nervous all of a sudden. I wonder what could have possibly caused him to get nervous so quickly.

Matt turns his head a little to show he is listening to Keith while he thinks. “Let's see...we drove here in about an hour and a half. Shiro, how long have we been driving?” He asks, looking over at his boyfriend for a second before refocusing on the road.

Shiro looks up at the clock to read it. “We left about 45 minutes ago.” He says, looking at Keith with a worried look. I frown a little and sit forward myself. Am I missing something?

I gently place a hand on Keith’s shoulder and look at his face. “Is something wrong? Are you okay?” I tend to become a bit of a mother hen when people get hurt or sick, it is something I picked up living with a big family. I don't want Keith to be uncomfortable, especially when it is his first day in England. I want him to have fun.

Keith sighs and shakes his head. “No, I'm okay.” He doesn't sound okay though, he sounds desperate for something and worried.

Shiro decides to speak up for him. “Keith was too anxious on the plane ride to eat, drink, sleep, or use the bathroom. Once we get to Matt’s place he needs to take a chill pill and get his body what it needs.” His words made me frown a little deeper. I feel bad now, that plane ride must have been horrible if he went the whole ride without anything.

Keith groans and hides his face in his hands. “Shiro.” He whines, this time without the playful edge from earlier. He sounds embarrassed that Shiro told me and Matt. But what does he have to be embarrassed about?

“Keith, if you feel faint or something we can stop somewhere and get you food or water.” Matt offers. He understands Keith’s struggle because I sometimes have the same problem; I don't take care of myself when I get extremely anxious. Matt is usually the one that talks me into eating and drinking enough to not die.

“No, I'll be fine until we get home.” Keith promises, a little quick for a calm reply. I can tell that he is being truthful though, I know what someone sounds like when they lie. So then what is bothering him so much? I survey his body language- I have learned within the last hour that it is a big deal with Galra- and happen to look down just as Keith presses and rubs his thighs together.

Oh.

Okay.

I lean back again and take my hand off of his shoulder. “Will you be okay until we go home?” I ask him, sympathizing even more now that I know what is wrong. I understand now why he is so upset at Shiro for speaking up. Keith has told me before that he is pee shy. It's not that uncommon for guys and his bedwetting problem probably doesn't make it any better.

Keith sighs and removes his face from his hands. He turns to me and notices me watching his legs fidget. “...yeah.” He replies, sounding a little unsure himself, sitting back with me and resting his head on my arm, which is still behind him. He pulls on his seatbelt and rests his hands in loose fists between it and his belly to keep the pressure off of his bladder.

I don't ask him about it again. Instead I try to make him feel better and try to distract him from the tension in his stomach. It doesn't really work with how much he needs to go- he hasn't peed in over eight hours at this point- but it does something. Keith at least tries to give me smiles and thoughtful replies to show he is listening.

After another half hour we get to Matt’s. Matt gives me the keys to the house so I can bring Keith inside while he and Shiro get the luggage in the trunk. I get out and walk around to Keith’s side to help him up then lead him to the front door with our fingers intertwined. Keith follows me, a little slower than earlier, but that's because he’s trying not to pee in his pants.

I open the door and leave it open as I take Keith upstairs. “The bathroom is there.” I point to a full bath a little down the hall from the top of the stairs. It is right next to the room Keith and I will be sharing for the next week, which I think will be helpful.

Keith lets go of my hand and practically runs inside. “Thanks!” He chirps quickly before he shuts and locks the door.

I hum a response to myself as I go back downstairs to help Matt and Shiro out; but they already have everything and are walking to the house by the time I descend the stairs so I simply hold the door open for them. Shiro takes everything upstairs while Matt goes out to the car again to drive to a restaurant and get a pizza- it will take too long to cook anything and we are all too hungry to wait.

Shiro comes downstairs again before Keith is out of the bathroom. He goes into the kitchen and gets Keith some water to drink once he comes downstairs. He also pulls out a couple of pill bottles and pours out one capsule from each into his palm. I already know what they're for; Keith takes medicine for his depression and he takes sleeping pills. The depression pills are kind of self explanatory, but Keith takes sleeping pills because he’s terrified of sleep. Every time he goes to sleep, without fail, he has a nightmare, and because of that he associates sleep with the fear from his dreams. If it weren't for the pills that forcefully knock him out at night he would never sleep.

After another minute Keith comes downstairs and sits on the couch. Shiro hands him the glass of water and watches him drink half of it before he hands him the pills too. They look like horse pills to me, but Keith pops both of them in his mouth at the same time and swallows with only a sip of water and doesn't even shudder. I can tell he’s been on them for awhile.

Shiro gives Keith a piece of candy so he can feel confident that his brother won't faint from low blood sugar before he lets Keith do whatever he wants. I offer him my hand to stand up once Shiro walks away. “Want to go look at our room?”

Keith smiles and takes my hand as he stands up. We walk up the stairs with our hands linked and I show him which bedroom is ours. It is the smaller of the two and right next to the bathroom, but it is a good size for a guest bedroom. The room contains a full sized bed, a bean bag chair, and a desk.

I let go of Keith’s hand and sit down on the bed, causing it to crinkle. I can tell the sound catches Keith’s attention by the way his ears perk as he walks over to me. He sits down as well and feels the sheets. I smile. “I came over before we picked you guys up. I already put the cover on the bed.”

Keith smiles back at me, a little smaller than mine. “Thanks.” He avoids my eye contact when he says it, but I'm not hurt or offended. I know anything about his problem is a touchy subject and he has really bad self-esteem issues with it. I don't make it worse by trying to get Keith to meet my eyes or by asking questions.

We go quiet for a moment. Neither of us has anything to say. We are still letting the fact that we are actually here, together, sink in, even after the past couple of hours we spent in the car.

Keith’s ears twitch as he looks at me. They're still so adorable. I kind of want to touch them, but I don't know if I'm allowed to; I saw Shiro do it, so I know it wouldn't be weird, but I don't know if it is something that siblings do, or if I have to be dating him or something…

But I don't have to question the decision any longer, because Keith catches me staring at his ears. He doesn't say anything; instead of giving me a verbal response he dips his head a little, almost like he is giving me permission to touch them. His ears twitch again when I hesitate for too long.

I carefully reach a hand up and rest it behind his ears like I saw Shiro do and gently rub the space behind the base of his ears with the tips of my fingers. Keith almost immediately starts purring, loud and strong and involuntarily shudders for a second. The motions of my fingers falter- I don't know if that was a good or a bad shudder- but Keith actually nudges my hand and creens for me to continue when the pressure of my hand starts to fade. It was a good shudder.

I start rubbing a little harder and watch with amazement as his eyes fall to half mast and he shudders again. I smile because damn he looks so cute. “Such a cute kitty.” I comment as I shuffle a little closer to him. I can't help what I say. I wonder what his response will be.

Keith moves closer to me so our thighs touch and hugs me, his fingers tightening and loosening on my shirt in the back. It takes a second for me to realize that oh my god he’s kneading. He rests the underside of his jaw on my shoulder and melts into me, going still except for his hands.

It takes all of my self control to not burst out in cuteness induced giggles. “This must feel really good.” I say, wondering how it would feel if we switched places. I lift my other hand to rub his ears, now taking one lobe in each hand. That causes Keith to go completely limp and his eyes to fall completely closed. He looks like he’s in heaven.

Even though Keith is leaning into me and not holding himself up, he doesn't weigh a lot. It almost feels like he weighs too little, but I can't judge what a good weight for a Galra is. I'm just guessing.

“Come on boys.” I jump a little and look to the door of the room to see who said that. Shiro is standing in the doorway and smiling at me and Keith. He meets my eyes and winks, letting me know that he is okay with the very intimate moment I was just having with Keith. The older brother wasn't going to pound me into the ground for wanting to get close to his baby brother. He approved. “Food is here.”

I sigh and stop rubbing Keith’s ears. He's probably starving, I don't want to make him wait any longer to eat. “I can do this again later.” I promise, hopefully low enough for only Keith to hear. But I am pretty sure Galra have stronger hearing than Alteans based on the size of their ears so Shiro might hear me too. I would love to make Keith feel this happy and relaxed again and I want him to know that he has an open invitation to get pet like that again.

Keith takes a minute to come back to himself and sit up. He stands and stretches and I notice when he relaxes that the odd curve in his tail is gone. I wonder what it meant. I stand up with Keith and we walk downstairs to the kitchen to get something to eat.

Matt got a party sized pizza, half cheese and half meat lover. He and Shiro are already putting slices on plates to hand to us; Shiro hands Keith a couple of slices of cheese pizza and Matt hands me three meat lover slices. We sit down at the coffee table to eat and the other two decide to stay in the kitchen. Their decision is probably based off of them trying to let us have alone time. I'm not complaining though.

I eat slower than I usually do as I watch Keith eat. He goes slow and is overly careful when it comes to making sure the food doesn't touch his lips. Whenever the pizza does touch his lips he pulls away and cringes, almost like it is burning him. But the pizza isn't all that hot.

I finish before he does despite the fact that I was given more food. I continue to watch Keith as he slows down even more, almost like he has to choke down every bite now-but he doesn't notice me watching. He looks too concentrated on not gagging from the food even though he loves pizza; I can tell he’s almost gagging by the way his throat bulges slightly where it meets his jaw whenever he bites off another piece. Eventually he gives up eating and gets up to throw away the half of a slice he abandoned, grabbing my plate as well so I don't have to stand.

While Keith is getting rid of our plates I decide to go upstairs and wash off the rest of my makeup- I'm tired of looking like a wreck. I resolve to not put anymore on either; I want Keith to know before the end of the day that I am Altean so he doesn't feel like I don't trust him. I shut and lock the bathroom door as I walk in and scrub the thick layer of foundation off my face, making sure that nothing is left to cover my marks. I pause before cleaning my arms, trying to process the color on my cheeks for myself.

They're light pink.

Pink is only a color I have ever seen around my closest family members. It isn't a color that shows up for just anyone. Pink means that someone is deeply trusted. Pink means that someone is always missed when they're away. Pink means that someone always makes the sun a little brighter. Pink is the color of love.

I don't like Keith anymore. I love him. Seeing him here with me, finally, in England, being able to feel the warmth of his fur when I hug him, being able to hear his voice and see his lips move when he talks, being able to know that he is a flesh and blood person and not just a few pieces of text on a screen makes me realize that I truly and deeply love him. And I can't be happier, because Keith has been showing me since we first saw each other at the airport that he feels the same.

But at the same time, my heart cracks a little, because the realization is like a condemnation, and the pretty rose pink of my marks swirls with a disgusting, rotten pumpkin orange. I love a Galra, and he’s a boy. My parents hate me for being gay, I can only imagine how much more they will hate me when they figure out I am in love with someone from a species they so strongly despise.

They're going to disown me. They're going to kick me out of the house. They'll refuse to talk to me or let me see my nieces or nephews. I'll be an outcast from the only people and place I have ever called home.

But I don't want to keep Keith a secret. He deserves better than that. But I don't want him to meet my parents and be harassed and bullied and hurt like some mutt.

I stare at my reflection in the small bathroom mirror- at my glowing pink marks- for the longest time. I can't bring myself to wash the makeup off of my arms when I know I'll only be met with more pink designs. It’s a blessing and a curse and I don't know which side is more important to think about.

I must be in there for awhile, because I hear a knock on the door. “Lance? Are you okay?” I hear Matt ask through the door, soft and quiet to not startle me. I manage to break my tense stare that is directed at my cheeks, but their image doesn't fade from my mind as I look over at the door.

My mouth opens and closes. “Yeah. Yeah I'm fine.” I manage to choke out, tears welling up in my eyes as my voice cracks a little. The shock from the sigh of the color pink is fading and leaving in its place a deep seated sorrow that causes me to rip at the seams. My breath hitches in my throats and suddenly I can't breathe and I can't see.

There's a tiny silence where a broken sob fills the air. Matt is quiet before he whispers, “Lance, let me in.” He sounds sympathetic and sad, although there is no pity in his tone. That is what gives me the strength to take a step towards the door and turn the lock.

Matt immediately opens the door and walks in, closing it behind himself and locking it again. He meets my eyes, his understanding and soft while mine are watery and broken. Without speaking a word he envelops me in a warm hug and pulls my head to rest on his shoulder. And I am so happy he doesn't say anything because I wouldn't have been able to hear him over the mounting sobs pouring from my mouth.

Matt has seen me break down like this before- he was the one that comforted me after my family rejected my coming out of the closet- but I really hope that Keith can't hear me. I don't want him to know that I'm sad about him being Galra, because it's not that. I'm sad about what it means for me that he is Galra. If I chose to pursue him and date him then I chose to give up my family and everything I have ever known. But if I chose to keep my family I chose to lose the most beautiful, warm, soft, cuddly, and most loving person I have ever met. I can't chose. And I don't want to have to chose.

I try to speak, to vent on Matt because I know he will listen and not judge what I say, but he shushes me. “Just relax, let it out. The faster you let it out the faster you can go back to Keith.” Keith. That's right, he anxiously suffered through a flight without food or water or sleep to have fun with me for a week. I should be talking with him instead of crying about my problems. I'll have plenty of time for that after he leaves anyway.

I bury my face in Matt’s shoulder and cry. My shoulders shake with the force of my sobs, but Matt keeps me from crumbling where I stand and holds me up when my legs refuse to. He runs his fingers through my hair and whispers softly to me until I calm down. This time when I pull away his shirt isn't coated in foundation.

Matt pats my shoulder and offers a small smile. “Why don't you finish wiping your makeup off and go see Keith? I'm sure he’s waiting in your guys’ room to talk.” He says as he pulls away, forcing my legs to start working again and keep me from falling to my knees. They succeed even if they are a little shaky.

I nod and sniffle to control my running nose. “Thanks.” I say lowly, turning to the sink to finish washing the makeup off my body. While I do that Matt leaves, probably to go talk with Shiro, but also to give me some alone time to gather my thoughts. I need them so I can put on a happy face again and forget about my sorrow for a little bit. I want to have some fun with Keith before the night ends.

I finish washing all of the makeup off my body and take a deep breath. I am really about to do this. I dot know how Keith will react, but I hope he at least accepts me for who I am. I open the bathroom door and step out into the hallway.

Almost immediately I hear Keith call out for me, his voice soft and hesitant. “Lance?” His voice is coming from our bedroom, so I head in that direction. It takes all of my self control to look him in the eye when I step into the room and see him standing up from the bed to meet me.

He freezes as soon as he sees me. His eyes trace over every visible design on my body, but I can't tell what he is thinking. His face is blank until his eyebrows furrow and his lips turn down in a frown, causing my own features to do the same. He lifts his hands to cover his mouth as he starts to cry, his eyes gazing up into my own. I don't want him to cry.

“Keith, im sor-” I start to apologize, but he cuts me off as he rushes me with a tight hug that knocks the wind out of me. He buries his face in my chest and cries for all he’s worth. He shakes his head and starts to purr, loud and erratic and he is honestly scaring me a little. I'm confused, he seems like he is giving me mixed signals: he is crying but purring happily? Is he happy or sad?

Keith answers my question without me having to say it out loud. “I love you too.” He says, his voice cracking a little as he speaks. The only way he can know I love him is by my marks, which means he knows the color scale. He’s crying tears of joy.

I hug Keith back, just as tightly. I almost want to cry again now that Keith has verbally said he loves me, both from happiness and sadness. When I let Keith see my marks I unspokenly chose him over my family. I can't remake my decision now. But I'm happy I chose him.

“I love you.” I reply to Keith, just so he can hear me verbally say that I love him back. I crane my neck to kiss the base of one of his ears and then pull away to look Keith in the face. He looks up at me and smiles widely, his tail beginning to wag so hard his hips swing from side to side because of the force. I feel good knowing that I made him this happy.

Keith suddenly yawns, his eyes dampening with fresh tears. “I'm tired.” He complains, falling against me, allowing me to feel his purrs in my chest like before. I love this feeling.

I want to laugh and point out that he did just take a sleeping pill, but I don't. Instead I yawn as well and pull away from our hug to grab some pajamas. His are already folded on the bed so I hand them to him. “Here, you can use the bathroom first and change. Then we can talk until we fall asleep.” Which probably wouldn't be much tonight; Keith is sleep deprived more than usual and probably won't be able to stay up much longer.

Keith takes his pajamas and nods. He leaves the room and closes the door behind him so I can change. My pajamas are a blue tank top and some blue basketball shorts. While I wait for Keith to come back I lay down and cuddle into the blankets, unable to wait for when I can replace them with Keith.

When Keith returns he is wearing a pair of fitted black shorts and no shirt. I may or may not stare at his chest for a minute as he walks over and lays down next to me. He has muscles, but they don't bulge- he looks toned. He immediately pushes the blankets to the foot of the bed and cuddles up to me. “You won't be needing that tonight.” He says confidently and I can already feel why.

Keith feels like a furnace as he cuddles up to me and lays his head on my chest. He is no longer warm like he was during the day and it would have made me worry if it hadn't been for Keith’s call statement. “Why are you so hot?” I wonder seriously before adding, “Pun intended.” with a smirk and a wiggle of my eyebrows.

“Galra get hot when they're sleepy.” Keith responds simply. He ignores my pun joke even though his fur flushes a little in response. He’s cute when he blushes.

The small snippet of information Keith has given me about Galra ignites a flame of curiosity in me. I want to know more about Keith, especially because I know so little. “What else should I know about Galra? We don't get taught this in school.” At least where I live we don't, it I don't know how it works in America.

Keith clicks his tongue and shakes his head, although he is smiling playfully. “Gotta learn.” Right after his smile fades into a wide yawn. He flips onto his stomach and turns his head to look up at me from where he is hugging his pillow. “I'm really tired…” He isn't going to be able to stay up much longer.

I turn on my side so I can cuddle into him now. “It's okay.” I assure him as I find the spot on his ears I was rubbing earlier and scratch it briefly. Keith purrs and relaxes into the sheets, his eyes falling closed like before.

“Sorry we can't talk much.” He apologizes.

“We have a whole week Keith…” I remind him. It's okay for him to be tired on his first day in England, especially after the horrible flight he endured. Jet lag will fade. “We can talk tomorrow.” I say as I lean in and kiss his ear.

Keith moves his head a little when I kiss him. “Goodnight.” He breathes, already almost asleep. It only takes a few more seconds for the sleeping pill to do its job and pull him into a temporarily dreamless sleep.

As I watch him fall asleep I can't help but realize this will be the first night I witness him have a nightmare. Tonight I'll be the one calming him down instead of Shiro and I'll be doing it in person and not over a laptop screen. I can't help but feel a little worried that I won't be able to calm him down despite helping him countless times over the internet. It just seems like it will be different when I will be able to see the terror in his eyes when he wakes up.

I don't fall asleep right away- I'm not tired, it's still kind of early for me since I'm used to staying up all night with Keith. Instead I gently pet Keith’s ears while I watch him sleep, enjoying how soft his ears feel under my fingers. My affection causes him to continue softly purring even as he sleeps.

I don't know how much time has passed when I hear a knock at the door. I turn my head to see who it is and call out for them to open the door, hoping my voice won't wake Keith up. Shiro opens the door and smiles. “Hey, I just wanted to wake Keith up so he can use the bathroom again.” He explains as he walks in and sits down on the bed next to his baby brother.

I nod and turn to Keith to watch, wondering what he looks like when he wakes up. Shiro laughs a little. “You might want to move, he’ll jump.” He warns, causing me to give Keith a few inches of space.

Shiro leans down to Keith and gently presses the side of his face into the mattress and fricken bites his ear. I don't know how Galra work but when I see him do that my mouth falls open. Why would he do that to wake him up? But it seems to work just fine because Shiro let's go of Keith and he jumps awake, sitting up on his elbows and looking around with closed eyes. He looks a little confused and it is honestly kind of cute.

Keith almost immediately decides he doesn't care what woke him up and lays down again and cuddles into the mattress. Shiro laughs and ruffles his ears. “Come on Keith, go use the bathroom and then you can go back to sleep.” He urges, moving away so Keith can get up. He pats his back a few times- pretty roughly I might add- to keep Keith from falling asleep again.

Keith groans tiredly, although I'm not sure from what. He takes a second but he sits up and stands and stretches hard as he yawns again. He relaxes and walks out of the room to use the bathroom, leaving me and his brother alone.

I turn to Shiro after he leaves. “You bit him??” I say, unable to form any other words because just- why?

Shiro looks at me and laughs. “Oh that's right! Matt told me you don't know much about Galra!” He starts, clapping his hands together in amusement and looking at the ceiling with a wide smile on his face. “Okay, I'll explain this in a way you can understand: Keith isn't 18 yet, so he is still a kit. A kit is a child but in Galra terms.

“Kits need a hell of a lot of sleep. Like, a lot. And they struggle to wake up without a large amount of stimuli. So when I bit him that's all I was doing, I was waking him up. I was gentle so I didn't hurt him and I held him down so he couldn't bump my jaw. Does that make sense?” He asks.

...It actually kind of does. “So you have to be rough?” I ask to clarify, since I might need to know this for future reference.

Shiro nods. “He doesn't really feel it. Rough feels gentle to a kit who just woke up. Their sensory nerves kind of shut down when they sleep, it's a survival thing.” Oh, okay. That makes me feel better. Now I understand. It makes total sense.

“Thanks for explaining.” I laugh, rubbing the back of my neck with a hand. “I was literally so confused.”

Shiro laughs again as well. “Don't mention it. I know it's different than what you're used to. But you'll learn quick with me and Keith in the house. If you see us do some weird crap it's normal.” He warns and it makes me wonder what else Galra do that I don't know about.

Keith comes back into the room and immediately lays down and curls up into me. He’s still kind of hot, but not as much as before when he was still asleep. Shiro pats his shoulder, a little less rough this time and wishes him a goodnight before he gets up and leaves, giving me a wink as he walks through the doorway.

I hug Keith close and pull him on top of me. He doesn't object and rests his head on my chest and starts falling asleep again. It’s later now, so I follow him. The last thing I remember when I fall asleep is the hot feeling of Keith’s tail wrapping around my thigh. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I own nothing.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lance experiences Keith's nightmares in person for the first time. One thing leads to another.

I jump awake when I hear a loud, terrified, blood curdling scream coming from above me and the volume honestly scares me a little and hurts my ears. My eyes snap open to see Keith scramble off of me and slam into the wall next to the bed. He curls into the wall and makes himself as small as possible, his ears pinned down and his tail tucked between his legs in terror. There are tears already pouring down his cheeks and soaking the fur on his face.

Keith let's out another horrified scream and covers his own ears and I notice his claws digging into his flesh. Before I can even process anything that has happened since I woke up I rush to his side and hug him tightly. I immediately start shushing him and whispering softly in his ear in an attempt to calm him down. “Nonononono no Keith it's okay shhh…” My words are slurred and rushed but I can't help it. All I know is Keith is hurting and he needs my help.

My ears feel like they're going to start bleeding because Keith isn't sobbing, he’s literally screaming. There are tears streaming down his face and he’s shaking hysterically but all that comes out of his mouth are horrified screams. I don't care about my ears though, I continue to hold him tight and whisper in his ear, hoping he hears me. “It's okay Keith, it's me. I'm here, you're okay. It was just a bad dream.”

There is no way Shiro and Matt can't hear him with the way he’s shrieking at the top of his lungs and I'm honestly kind of shocked Shiro hasn't come barreling in on reflex yet. Matt might be telling him to let me try but I hope he isn't. I've never had to deal with this before and I don't know what I'm doing. Nothing I do seems to really work and I can't figure out what I'm doing wrong. I want Shiro to come in and help me. I need him to.

But he isn't coming, at least for now. Keith’s screams thankfully die down to erratic sobs, which are easier for me to deal with. I gently pull his hands off of his ears and encourage him to grip my shirt instead so he can't hurt himself. I then sit cross legged and lift Keith into my lap so he isn't leaning into the cold wall. Keith curls into me once the solid weight of the wall disappears from his other side and sobs into my chest, still shaking uncontrollably.

I do whatever I can to calm him down. I grab my comforter and wrap it around us, even if I start to sweat almost immediately from the combined heat of Keith and the blanket. I cover his head to block out any and all light, hoping that the sensory deprivation will help him relax. I am still talking to him, my words slower now that I kind of have a grip on what is happening.

I suddenly feel a tap on my shoulder and force myself to not jump. I turn my head to see Shiro standing above me, his head tilted and one ear lowered in a silent question. “Is he okay?” So Shiro did hear Keith screaming and crying.

I immediately shrug my shoulders. I've never done this, I don't know. “Help.” I mouth, asking him to at least tell me what to do. What calms Galra down? I'm doing what I've seen calm my sister when she gets scared during thunderstorms, but she doesn't have nightmares and she is Altean, not Galra.

Shiro’s ears perk and he slowly sits down on the bed to not spook Keith. He grabs one of my hands and pulls it under the blanket and touches my fingers to Keith’s tail. He lets go for a second and then leads my fingers to the base of Keith’s tail- the underside where it meets his spine. He presses down on my fingers with a firm but gentle pressure and then lets go. I somehow understand that I'm supposed to press down with the same amount of pressure he did and do so.

Keith stiffens almost immediately and groans in discomfort, causing me to panic a little. Am I hurting him? I turn to face Shiro and he motions for me to relax. “You're doing fine.” He mouths, so I keep pressing to see what will happen. Keith stays tense for another few seconds until he suddenly relaxes against me. He is still shaking and crying, but he’s starting to calm down. I can only wonder what the hell the pressure on his tail is doing to him that makes him calm down so fast.

I continue to hold onto Keith’s tail and hug him while he comes down from his terrified panic. He stops crying surprisingly fast for how long it was taking me to get him to stop screaming before. It's because of his tail- is it a pressure point? That would make sense.

Once Keith stops crying Shiro pats my shoulder and leaves. He seems like he expects I know how to handle the rest. Which I most likely can, assuming that Keith doesn't relapse into his sobs again. That is when I suddenly realize that the bed is dry; Keith didn't wet the bed. That's one less thing to worry about.

Keith hiccups and cuddles into me, finally going still. I sigh with relief and pull the comforter off of us and enjoy the cool air of the room. Keith seems to have calmed down completely and just seems to want my comfort for a little while longer. I am readily willing to provide him with it. I feel Keith’s death grip on my shirt relax and I look to see where he moves his hands, half expecting him to dig his claws into his skin again. But he doesn't. Instead I see his hands slip in between his legs and squeeze hard and his thighs tighten around them. He looks up at me with desperate eyes that are still watery and whimpers. He’s blushing a deep and embarrassed magenta.

It barely takes a second to click in my mind. “Do you need to pee?” I ask, although the answer is pretty obvious. I help him out of my lap and stand to pull him to his feet. Keith is pretty wobbly- which is to be expected with the amount of adrenaline still pumping through his veins- but he easily runs to the bathroom once he’s standing. I watch him go and notice the kink is in his tail again.

With Keith gone I take a deep breath and let myself relax and let my brain catch up with what happened. Keith woke up from a nightmare and I calmed him down. I needed a little help from Shiro but I did it. And Keith didn't wet the bed, which I take as a huge plus. He told me he’s never woken up dry. I also notice that my marks are glowing a bright and tense neon orange and they probably have been since I woke up.

I lay down on the bed again and wait for Keith to come back. I check the clock and see that it's a little after three in the morning. I hope that Keith won't have another nightmare by the time we get up because I feel a little too emotionally spent to comfort him again today. Who knew that calming a nightmare victim was so emotionally exhausting?

Keith takes a few minutes before he comes back. I sit up when he walks in the doorway and immediately get up to hug him. He’s crying again. He isn't sobbing or shaking or anything, but tears are in his eyes and falling down his cheeks again. His ears are low and his tail is still tucked between his legs too. “What's wrong? Are you okay?” I ask, letting him hide his face in my chest. He shakes his head and takes a deep breath, trying to calm down enough so he can talk. His voice is probably all but gone from the crying and screaming he just did.

Keith pulls away from me and walks over to the bed so he can sit down. The kink is still in his tail and it looks downright painful and uncomfortable. I still haven't figured out what that means. Keith lowers himself onto the mattress with a desperate hiss and grips his thighs once he’s sitting. “C-can y-you g-g-get S-Sh-Shiro?” He asks, his voice raw and broken, nothing like the soft and beautiful voice it used to be. “H-hurry please.”

Something in his eyes when he looks at me causes my stomach to drop. I run to Matt’s room and knock loudly on the door. “Shiro?! Keith needs you!” I call before I immediately go back to Keith and sit down next to him. I have no idea what's going on anymore and it is all I can do to hope that Shiro will actually have a clue.

Shiro shows up a moment later. He looks extremely worried when he sees Keith. “Yeah? Is something wrong?” He asks.

Keith breathes in and out shakily. “Shiro….I need to go to the hospital.” He hiccups. “Im retaining.”

What?

Shiro’s eyes widen. “Oh, okay I'll go tell Matt. Get ready, we’ll leave in a minute.” He says quickly before he’s rushing back to his and Matt’s room to wake up his boyfriend. I am so confused, what is ‘retaining’ and why does Keith have to go to the hospital because of it? Wasn't he just fine a second ago?

I can't stop myself from panicking a little as I turn to Keith. “Keith, what's happening? Do we need to get dressed?” I ask, concerned and confused. I gently rub his back in hopes of offering a little comfort, but it doesn't do much.

Keith sniffles and nods. “I h-have some sweat p-pants in m-m-my luggage. C-can y-you f-find them please?” He asks. “A-and a s-shirt?” I nod and get on my knees to pull his luggage out from under the bed and open it up. It doesn't take me long to find the sweatpants he’s talking about and pull them out along with a red t shirt. I put them on the bed next to Keith and he whispers his thanks as he starts to slowly pull his shorts off.

He looks like he can get changed himself so I go to my closet and grab some decent day clothes. I pull a white and blue shirt over my head and slip into a pair of cargo pants faster than Keith can pull his own shirt on. “Keith?” I call, still confused and scared because he doesn't look okay.

His ear turns in my direction but he doesn't answer. He instead bends over to put his legs through the pant legs of his sweat pants and gasps suddenly in pain, sitting straight up and dropping the clothes. I frown deeply and grab his sweatpants and help him pull them on. “It'll be okay Keith.” I promise even though I have no idea what's happening. He’s obviously scared and hurting and I want to try to make him feel better.

Keith shakes his head and sniffles. He doesn't believe me and that makes me sad, but I have to remember that Keith is in pain- or at least he looks like it. He can't really hope for the best when he’s hurting like this.

Shiro comes back to our room after a minute. “Lance can you help Keith downstairs?” He asks me as he looks at his brother worriedly. I share his concern. I nod. Shiro thanks me and leaves to go downstairs and I hear the front door open- he is probably starting Matt’s car.

I stand up straight and offer Keith my hand to stand up. “Come on, let's get you downstairs.” He say, hoping that talking to him will get his attention. Keith looks at my hand with a pained expression and doesn't take it. He doesn't want to stand, I can tell that much.

More tears come to his eyes and I almost want to cry watching him. I can't really help him and it's hurting me. Keith breathes out an uncomfortable moan and squeezes his thigh together. But I thought he went to the bathroom already? “I need to pee.” Keith whines as he starts to shake again.

I frown and rub his back between his shoulder blades. “I know.” I say out of instinct even though I don't know. But it feels like saying those words will help Keith. “Come on, we can go as slow as you need to.” Maybe the promise of not being rushed will convince him to stand.

Keith whimpers but finally takes my hand and pulls himself to his feet. I quickly get my arm under his and help support his weight, although he seems to be able to hold himself up on his own for the most part. He stays still for a moment before he starts walking forward, slow and unsteady. I keep him from falling and urge him to keep going whenever he stops. When we finally get to the bottom of the stairs Shiro pulls Keith’s other arm over his shoulders and helps us walk to the car at a much faster pace. Keith groans and protests but Shiro urges him to keep going until we’re at the car.

I get in the left side of the car while Shiro helps Keith get in the right. I buckle myself in and see that Keith doesn't have his seatbelt on, so I lean over to buckle him in so he doesn't have to. Keith stops me though and shakes his head as he quickly breathes the word ‘no’ over and over again in quick succession. I don't feel comfortable letting him be in the car without something protecting him though, so I pull him down to lay across the back seat with his head in my lap. He doesn't object to this and pulls his legs up so his stomach isn't twisting oddly.

Shiro and Matt get in the front seat and Shiro turns back to look at Keith. He pats Keith’s shoulder and offers him a smile. “You're okay, we’ll be there soon. The nearest hospital is ten minutes away.” He assures his little brother. Keith nods to show he’s listening and turns his face into my stomach. I let him and pet his ears softly to try and comfort him.

“Let me know if I'm driving too fast.” Matt says as he starts the car and slowly pulls away from the curb. Keith grips the seat hard in one hand and my arm with the other. He isn't clawing me thankfully, so I let him squeeze.

We aren't even in the car for two minutes when I can't stand my curiosity anymore. I still don't know exactly what's wrong and I want to know. “Shiro, what's wrong with Keith?” I ask, keeping my voice low.

Shiro turns his head a little so he can look me in the eye while he explains. “Keith needs to pee, but his muscles are locking so he can't. It's really painful and if he doesn't relax then he his kidneys can fail.” He keeps his voice low as well. “Keith isn't in too much pain right now, he’s just scared because this happened before. Try to keep him calm.” He is occupied with giving Math directions so he can't do it himself.

I look down at Keith and frown deeply. That sounds horrible. And he’s been through this before? That explains why he knew what was wrong and why he is being so emotional.

I continue petting his ears to offer him what comfort I can. I also start whispering to him again like I was when he woke up from his nightmare. Shiro said he was scared, so I try to treat this like another nightmare. I tell him he’ll be okay and that it'll be over soon. I think about pressing on his tail like Shiro instructed me to do earlier, but I decide against it because I would have to keep one hand under him the whole time and even though Keith doesn't weigh much that will hurt. Plus one of my hands is petting Keith and he has my other arm in a death grip. I don't have a hand to use.

Keith stays quiet for the most part, although he is the furthest thing from still and relaxed. He’s consistently tense and shifting his hips from the vibration of the seats as the car moves. Sometimes Matt accidentally hits pebbles in the road or pot holes that bounce him, causing him to whimper and grab himself even though Shiro told me he can't pee. Whenever the pressure starts to get to him he calls out my name or Shiro’s and we are both quick to answer him and tell him he’s okay.

We get to the hospital and my heart drops. Matt hits the wheel at the same time because this hospital isn't a 24 hour one. It's closed. “Quiznak.” Matt swears, asking Shiro to find the next closest place. Shiro immediately searches on his phone and finds another place a half hour away.

While they talk I cover Keith’s ears in hopes that he won't hear them. He doesn't need to know that they have to drive farther, if he doesn't know he’ll feel better. But despite my attempts to block out the adults in the front seat Keith hears them. And he breaks down in tears.

“Shiro!” He calls, his voice breaking in the middle as he turns his head to look at his brother. Shiro was busy telling Matt where to go so he only offered Keith his hand to hold onto. Keith gripped his hand hard and I can see Shiro’s arm tighten as he squeezes back. But Keith is still freaking out and calls out for his brother again. “Shiro!”

He’s practically writhing in the back because he’s given up on trying to relax and be calm. I don't blame him because he was just told he has to wait another half hour before we even get off the road, let alone until he gets relief him the agony he’s in. Tears start to swim in my eyes as I watch the pain scrunch up his face. I wish I could help him feel better. But he’s not accepting comfort anymore.

Keith keeps calling out for Shiro and Shiro responds with short recognitions and squeezes of his hand while he navigates Matt to the highway. Keith gets more and more hysterical because he doesn't feel like his brother is really paying attention to him and as a result his voice keeps getting louder.

Finally we are on the highway and Shiro hands me his phone so he can focus on Keith. Shiro asks me to make a space in the backseat so he can get in the back with us and I do my best to comply. I move to the middle seat and push Keith to sit up so Shiro can climb in the back, but it's at the cost of Keith shrieking in my ear because I'm putting pressure on his stomach by making him sit. I whisper my apology to him as Shiro sits down where I just was and we lower Keith to lay across both of our laps with his head resting on Shiro’s thigh and his hips between us.

Shiro immediately ducks his head down so his mouth is literally in Keith’s ear and he starts talking to him. One of his hands holds onto both of Keith’s wrists so he can't hurt anyone and the other hand hovers directly over Keith’s lower stomach so that when he moves it presses on his bladder. I wonder what Shiro is doing until I see Keith stop writhing and lay still under his hands to get away from the pressure. He’s shaking, but he’s more calm now and he’s still.

Shiro keeps talking in Keith’s ear and doesn't let go of him for awhile. He only lets go when Keith is calm enough to think straight again. Keith is still distraught and in tears but he’s coping much better with Shiro holding onto him. He can't meet any of our eyes because he’s extremely embarrassed that he’s causing such a fuss over a bathroom problem. But I can tell he can't help it.

Once Shiro gets Keith calm the only sound in the car is the sound of his labored and pained breathing. It's loud and erratic and mixed with uncomfortable moans and whimpers because it's the only method Keith has to try to cope with his discomfort and pain. It feels horrible to listen to, especially when I know I can't make him feel better.

I am wiping tears from my cheeks when we finally arrive at the next hospital. Thankfully this one is actually open. Matt pulls up to the front door and lets Shiro and I pull Keith out of the car so he can park. Shiro carries Keith inside bridal style and I follow closely behind him.

There isn't anyone in line when we walk inside- it's three am, not many people are awake to have a medical emergency at this hour- so Shiro walks right up to the front desk. “Excuse me? My brother needs help.” He says as he he waits for the receptionist to finish filling out the piece of paperwork she’s working with.

She finishes and looks up at Shiro with a bored expression. This doesn't bode well. “How can I help you sir?” She asks, her voice flat and the exact opposite of concerned and caring.

Shiro notices this as well and frowns. “He’s retaining, he hasn't used the bathroom in over eight or nine hours and he’s in a lot of pain.” He explains.

I literally want to punch the receptionist for what she does next. She leans forward to look at Keith and observes his quiet suffering with bored eyes. She leans back and looks up at Shiro and says, “He doesn't look like he’s in that much pain.”

My marks glow a heated and angry red. She did not just say that. She works at a goddamn ER, her job is to help people who come in with problems not judge the merit of their pain.

Shiro growls at her. “He cried the entire way here.” The receptionist is either being lazy as all hell or she’s being racist. She's Altean. Most of the staff at hospitals in England are Altean. And Alteans tend to be very racist towards Galra.

She rolls her eyes and groans. “Fine. Let me see his wrist.” She said as she grabs a paper wristband with a code on it and leans forward to secure it around Keith’s wrist. She writes something down on a list she has and waves us off. “A nurse will call your name when it's your turn.”

“And did you list him under critical cases?” Shiro pushes, his eyes hard and serious. He isn't about to play games with his brother’s health.

The receptionist glares at him. “You have to wait your turn in line like everyone else.”

Shiro shakes his head. “Retention is a critical case. It jumps to the front of the waiting list.” Keith’s first experience with retention is coming in handy because I don't think Shiro would know any of this information unless Keith was in the hospital for the same reason before. If Shiro didn't know and hadn't spoken up just now we would possibly be waiting for hours while Keith sobbed in pain. And I don't think either of us are ready to go through that, let alone Keith.

The receptionist continues to glare and Shiro glares back. She groans and writes something next to Keith’s name. “You're next, leave me alone and go sit down in the waiting room.” She says with a flick of her wrist.

Shiro’s eyes are still hard when he thanks her and walks away. But I'm not so forgiving. If Keith wasn't in so much pain and didn't need me right now I would walk up to that receptionist and chew her out. But that would cause a security problem and only makes things worse so I muzzle my anger and sit down in a chair.

Now that we are away from the annoying receptionist Shiro’s demeanor softens again so he can comfort Keith. He slowly sits in the seat next to me and situates Keith in his lap so he can see me. Tears are still streaming down Keith face even though his voice is gone- his vocal cords are strained and raw from his sobbing- leaving him quietly hiccuping every few seconds.

Seeing him like that makes the red in my marks fade to a sad navy blue. I pat his knee and offer him a sad smile. “It's almost over.” It shouldn't be too long before there's an opening and we can go inside. But it feels like too long when I see Keith’s tear strained face so full of agony.

Matt comes in shortly after and finds us. He waves and sits down next to me with a frown. “That receptionist is a jerk.” He growls, putting an arm around my shoulders and pulling me into a hug. He knows I'm struggling with seeing Keith in so much pain. I'm thankful for the hug and I melt into it.

I nod to agree with him. I sigh and pull away from the hug with a small thank you before I sit up and look over at Keith again. He’s doing the best he can. I reach over and grasp his hand gently in my own and rub my thumb over his knuckles. “I love you.” I whisper as I lean down to kiss the back of his hand. I can see him smile out of the corner of my eye.

I haven't even sat up straight when I am suddenly being yanked to my feet by my ear and I come face to face with an Altean women. Her hair is pure white and tied back into a tidy bun, her doctor's coat is just as sharp. She has tense deep blue eyes that match my own and her lips are pressed into a single straight line.

She’s my mother.

She just saw me kiss Keith’s hand. Oh my god she knows. I was hoping to at least have her find out at the end of the week or after Keith leaves so I wouldn't have to deal with the sorrow of being kicked out while Keith was still in England but apparently I was too wishful in my thinking. Because it's barely the second day and she is pissed.

“What the hell do you think you're doing?!” She snarls in my face, loud and furious and not trying to contain herself at all. “Especially in the middle of the night with a goddamn Galra?!?!” She’s absolutely livid. She’s gripping my ear with enough force to tear it open, causing me to cringe. I feel warm blood start dripping down my neck from the wound but I ignore it.

I hear a growl come from next to me and look to see who it came from. I don't know who I was expecting but I definitely wasn't expecting it to be Keith. Despite the pained tears still pouring down his cheeks and the way his ears and tail are tucked down in fear and pain he’s sitting up and growling at my mother. There’s a dangerous glint in his eyes and his fangs are bared in anger. And he’s staring at my wounded ear.

My mother digs her nail into the tear in my ear and I yelp. “You will answer me when I speak to you.” She warns lowly, not removing her nail from my wound even when I start whining struggling under her. She ignores Keith’s growling.

“Mama...let go.” I plead, looking at Keith and not at her. “It's nothing important right now. What is important is that he needs medical attention.” I say as I motion to Keith. “Please mama...help him.” She already knows I like him, she saw me kiss his hand. If she is going to kick me out of the house the least I can get from her is help for Keith.

My mother lets go of my ear and hits my cheek with a resounding slap. My eyesight and hearing fade into nothing for a second and I come back to her screaming at the top of her lungs. “You do not order me around! What could possibly be wrong with your little friend over there?” She demands.

Suddenly, she stumbles to the side and I hear a shriek that almost bursts my ear drums because it's so loud. I turn to look at what caused my mother to fall and I see Keith laying on the ground, holding his stomach and sobbing. He got off Shiro’s lap and pushed her at the cost of putting himself in more agony. Even as he cries on the floor I can see the burning anger in his eyes.

My mother doesn't even give him time to be pulled back up from the ground before she lunges at him. Before I know what I'm doing I throw myself in front of him and take a kick to the shin that was meant to connect with his head. It hurt like hell. “Mama please.” I beg before she can try to hurt either of us again. “He’s my boyfriend mama please help him.”

That is the first time I say it out loud. And it only adds to the flames of her anger. She steps right up to me and puts her face in mine, so close I can feel her hot breath on my face as she breathes. “If I help him you get the quiznak out of my house.”

My mouth falls open and tears sting at my eyes. I knew this was going to happen, I even grieved over it last night in the bathroom, but when she says it out loud it feels like the wound is being ripped open again. And it burns. But I already made my decision when I said I loved Keith. I made my decision when I told her he was my boyfriend. I can't change my decision and that makes it hurt worse despite the fact that I know I wouldn't change my mind even if I had a choice.

I force myself to stay put together even though I'm falling apart. For Keith. He’s already in enough pain, he doesn't need to worry about mine on top of that. I face my mother with my head held high and my shoulders back, and even though there are tears welling in my eyes and my voice is wobbling I say, “I'll leave mama.”

That's it, I can't go back now. My marks fade to a chalky grey as I watch my mother’s face contort in shock, disbelief, and finally rage as my words sink in. I don't feel the heat of her glare or the hatred in her next words. I feel numb. “Fine. Take him in.” She demands as she snaps her head to a nearby nurse, who immediately jumps to action and motions for Shiro to follow her. She turns back to me and I can see the hatred in her eyes in accompanied by profound disgust. “Get out of my sight.” She snarls.

She doesn't have to repeat herself. I calmly walk my way into the ER room the nurse leads Shiro and I to and sit down in one of the chairs. I want to break down so, so bad but I am staying strong for Keith. I can grieve once his pain is over. So for now, I force myself to feel numb so I can't feel the crushing sadness that wants to bear down on my heart.

It takes me a second to hear Keith brokenly sobbing my name. I jump and look up at him and meet his eyes, which are sad and angry and overwhelmed with too many emotions for me to understand. If his voice wasn't gone before, it definitely is now, but he still tries to question me. “W-h..y…?”

I offer a false smile. “It's okay. It'll be fine.” I say, trying to soothe his worry. But it doesn't work at all and he keeps shaking his head at me and crying. His eyes watch me knowingly, he can see the lifeless color of my Altean marks. He knows I'm hurting and he won't let me try to cover it up.

The nurse gently pats the hospital gurney in the room. “Could you please put him down here sir?” She asks Shiro politely as she starts grabbing medical equipment that is hanging off of the walls. Shiro gently lays Keith down and sits in the chair at the head of the bed to hold his hand. Keith is squeezing his hand hard and sobbing. He looks like a mess.

The nurse starts checking Keith’s pulse, blood pressure, temperature- the normal work up they do at the hospital for records. While she does Keith shakes under her, doing his best to stay still so she can finish her job quickly. He wants this to be over. I do too.

Keith turns his head to look at me and hiccups. “Lance.” He calls as he lets go of Shiro’s hand and reaches out for me. I am a little more than shocked that he wants me over his brother but I don't complain as I stand up and walk over to him so I can take his hand. He grips my hand tightly until I squeeze back with the same amount of force.

The nurse finishes what she is doing and leaves to get the doctor. Shiro talks to Keith in her absence to keep him company and pets his ears comfortingly. Keith just sniffs and lays on the bed, too spent to sob anymore. He’s exhausted.

Thankfully, the doctor knocks on the door a few minutes later. She steps in with a bottle of medicine and a syringe and smiles at Keith. “Hello, how are you feeling?” She asks as she puts down the items she is carrying and slips on some plastic gloves.

Keith doesn't say anything. He covers his eyes with the hand that isn't holding onto me and grimaces. He doesn't want to talk. He just wants to feel better.

The doctor notices this and hums as she turns to me. “Sir, could you please hold the door open to the bathroom right there?” She asks politely as she points to a door that is connected to the room we are in. I let go of Keith’s hand and move to hold it open. Shiro takes Keith’s hand when I let go so he still has someone to hold onto.

“Thank you.” The doctor says to me as she picks up the bottle and syringe again. She looks down at Keith while she sticks the syringe in the bottle and draws some of the medicine out and begins explaining what she is going to do. “This is a strong sedative, it'll relax you so you can urinate.” She takes the syringe out of the bottle and taps the side of it. “It will take about two minutes to start working. Once you're done come back and lay down and I'll examine you again to make sure you're okay.”

She asks us if we have questions and waits for a second. When no one says anything she cleans off a part of Keith’s shoulder and pinches his skin so she can push the needle into him. Keith grits his teeth but doesn't make a sound as she pushes the medicine in, pulls the syringe out, and quickly covers the puncture wound with a bandaid.

Once she gives the okay Shiro stands and picks Keith up bridal style and carries him into the bathroom. I close the door after he walks in and walk over to the chair Shiro was sitting in. I sigh with relief knowing that Keith won't be in pain anymore, but I still feel a little worried. Is there going to be any permanent damage from this?

The doctor looks up at me and notices my bleeding ear. She pats the bed and opens a drawer in the room. “Let me sew that closed for you hunny.” She says as she grabs some needle and thread for stitches.

I sit on the gurney and hold my hair back for her so she can clean my ear. “How did you do this?” She wonders as she wipes the blood away from my wound, causing me to cringe. It stings, but not as much as the reminder of what just happened in the waiting room.

“I would rather not say.” I respond gently as she starts stitching my ear back together. I cringe away from her each time the needle passes through my skin but I don't say anything. I don't want to talk and I don't trust my voice.

“Will he be okay?” I ask in a low voice when my worry about Keith becomes too much for me to not ask. I am still really worried for him.

The doctor nods. “Any damage that occurred to his muscle tissue is temporary.” I sigh when she says that. So he will be okay. That makes me feel a lot better. I am happy that I chose Keith over my mom. If we drove to another hospital the damage could have been permanent at that point.

It only takes the doctor another minute or so to finish stitching my ear closed. She cuts the thread and puts the needle and spool of thread away. “All done!” She chirps as she hands me a mirror to look at my ear. It looks good. It's red and irritated and still bleeding a little but it looks good.

I get off the gurney and sit down in the same chair I was in before. Now I just have to wait for Shiro and Keith to come back. I don't have to wait long though because a few minutes after the doctor finishes with my ear I can hear a toilet flush. A few seconds later Shiro opens the door to the bathroom and carries Keith over to the gurney. He is much, much calmer than before now that he isn't dying to pee.

I sit up straighter to look at him. “Keith?” I call, watching as he turns his head to look at me. He offers a small smile and I know he will be alright. He closes his eyes and breathes out calmly as the doctor starts taking his vitals again.

The doctor lifts Keith’s shirt to look at his stomach and I frown at what I see. It's blocked by his fur, but I can see that his lower stomach is bruising. Shiro speaks up to explain where it came from. “He fell on his stomach in the waiting room.” He got that bruise trying to protect me from my mother.

I've already asked once, but I feel the urge to ask again. “He’ll be okay right?” Now that the doctor is re examining Keith I want to make sure that her answer is still yes.

Shiro answers me before the doctor does. “Yeah, he’ll be fine. He’s already been through this.” If Keith survived once he can survive again.

The doctor awws. “Poor thing. Retention sucks enough the first time around, but you've braved this twice.” She says as she finishes looking Keith over. “You're all set to leave. I am assuming you know the aftercare since this has happened before?” She says as she looks to Shiro since he is the one that mentioned it happened before.

Shiro nods and answers seriously. “Yes, we remember what to do.” Unlike his brother, Keith groans and covers his eyes. Whatever the aftercare is he doesn't seem to be looking forward to it. “Thank you for your help.” Shiro adds with a smile as he shakes the doctor’s hand.

She smiles back. “It's no problem. I hope I don't have to see you guys again in the ER.” She says, which makes me smile a little. She is the first person in this hospital today that has been nice to us.

Shiro laughs a little. “The feeling is mutual.” He says as he picks Keith up again. He’s still a little shaky from the whole experience so he can't walk yet. He relaxes into Shiro as his brother carries him back to the waiting room so we can meet up with Matt.

Matt is sitting where we were before we went in. He stands and waves to us as we walk over and motions for me to come over to him. I stand in front of him and he leans closer so his mouth is next to my ear. “I ordered a moving truck for tomorrow. You can stay with me until you get your own place.” He whispers, his voice low and soft.

I pull away and look him in the eyes. “Thank you.” I whisper back as I hug him, the sadness rushing back to me. I have to move out. I'll never see my family again.

Matt hugs me back tightly. “You're welcome.” He seems to know just how long to hold me so I don't break down before he pulls away so we can go home. We’re all tired, it's like four thirty am.

We all leave the ER and walk out to the car where Matt parked. Shiro sits Keith down in the back on the right and I get in on the left. I turn to grab my seat belt but I feel a tug on my shoulder that makes me stop. I look over to Keith and see him sitting up and buckled in and trying to pull me over to himself, but he’s a little weak at the moment. I decide to humor him and I let him guide me down to lay with my head in his lap like I did for him on the way to the hospital.

Keith leans down and gently kisses me on the lips. “Thank you for taking care of me.” He says, the beginnings of embarrassment over the whole ordeal starting to show on his face. Before it can set in too much he kisses me again and says, “I love you.”

I blush at the kisses but I am thankful. I need them more than he could ever imagine. “Thank you…” I whisper before hiding my face in his stomach. I want to relax for a little bit and not have to deal with anything. I am emotionally exhausted from helping Keith and numb because I can't deal with the loss of my home right now. Keith lets me hide and runs his fingers through my hair. It feels nice.

I hear Shiro and Matt start talking in the front. “We need to go to the store before we go home.” Shiro says as he finds a store that has what he needs to get on the GPS. He waits a second before he asks, “Keith, what size are you?”

Keith sighs. “Size 3.” He replies, still sounding apprehensive. I wonder why Shiro needs his size, and which size it is. He didn't specify but Keith knew what he meant.

We drive in a comfortable silence to the store. Me and Keith are completely quiet and trying to draw comfort from each other and Shiro and Matt are whispering to each other in the front. When we get to the store the adults get out and let us stay, which I am grateful for.

Before I can say anything, Keith speaks up. “I'm sorry your mom is making you move out Lance.” He says seriously, a spark of the anger from earlier igniting in his eyes for a second. “You have no idea how angry she made me. But thank you for doing that, even if I didn't want you to.”

I blink. Keith really wanted to sacrifice his health for my well being? Even if he had been willing to wait, I wouldn't have chosen differently. I wasn't about to let him get hurt like that. “I've wanted to move out for years.” I say softly, removing my face from his stomach to speak to him. “I just thought it would be on my terms.” On better terms.

Keith leans down and kisses my cheek. “It is on your terms.” He points out softly. “You chose to say yes.”

I guess I did.

I want to ask Keith what Shiro is going to get to change the subject but I decide against it when I see the look on his face. The distaste for my mother has faded from his expression, but his expression makes it clear that he is not looking forward to whatever he has to do after the hospital visit to make sure he’s okay. “Keith, is my ear okay?” I ask instead, hoping to distract him for a little bit. And I want to know what it looks like.

Keith gently touches my ear and bends it to look at the stitches. I stay still for him even though it kind of hurts. “It looks good.” He says simply before I feel something wet and barbed being drug over my ear. I jump in surprise and turn my head to see what it was and see Keith looking at me with his tongue out and slightly bloody. He was licking my ear clean.

His tongue disappears back inside his mouth in a silent question for him to continue. I don't know if there's some healing property in Galra saliva or if it's his way of offering comfort but I decided to humor him and let him lick my ear. I turn my head so he has better access to my ear and he starts licking it again almost immediately. The barbs on his tongue kind of hurt at first but once the pain starts to fade it kind of tickles. He keeps licking until Matt and Shiro come back. As they get in the car he sits up and leans back into the car seat, acting like he wasn't just cleaning my ear.

Matt sighs and slumps against the wheel. “I can't wait to go back to sleep.” He whines, but it is in a playful tone to try and keep the mood light. He sits up straight and starts the car so he can pull out of the parking lot.

Keith smiles but says, “Sorry Matt.” He knows Matt is joking but he still apologizes.

Matt shakes his head and looks at Keith in the rear view mirror. “Don't be sorry. I'm happy you're feeling better.” He says with a more serious tone. “I was genuinely worried when Shiro woke me up saying that we needed to bring you to the ER.”

That's when the embarrassment sets in for Keith. He covers his eyes and lowers his ears and groans. He just lived through one of his worst nightmares. For someone who is pee shy, having to go to the hospital for retention is stress on steroids. I even see his lip quiver a little bit, which sets off a tiny bit of panic inside me.

I sit up a little and give him a hug. “Hey Keith it's okay. It's no big deal.” He’s already cried enough today, he didn't need to again.

I hear Matt ask what we need all the stuff they bought for. Shiro responds, “The sedative is going to take away all of his muscle control until tomorrow morning.”

Oh, that sounds horrible. “So we have to take care of him?” I can see why he’s so upset now. He won't be able to take care of himself, so if he needs to eat, drink, sleep, or use the bathroom we have to figure it out. It'll almost be like caring for a baby.

Shiro nods. “I'll do it though, I've done it before.” He knows how to take care of his brother the best. Plus I can figure that only one person having to see Keith so vulnerable would probably be better for him.

We go quiet again until we get to the house. I get Keith to calm down enough so he isn't crying by the time we get home and I pull away. I kiss him on the lips before I get out of the car and walk around to help him out. He’s still kind of wobbly and shaking- it's probably from the sedative now and not from the aftermath of holding in his pee for far longer than he should have- but he can walk.

Me and Keith walk inside after Matt and Shiro, Keith staring at his older brother upsetly. Shiro grabs the bag of stuff he bought and motions for Keith to follow him upstairs. Keith follows, but he does so slowly and with his ears down like he’s about to be scolded.

I try not to butt in and instead walk into the kitchen with Matt to help him put away the rest of the stuff he and Shiro bought. They got a bunch of foods that were easy to eat and sweets. Matt didn't even put the bag of candy away, he just handed it to me. “You and Keith can share that. It'll make you guys feel better.” He says as he motions upstairs with his head. I guess that’s my cue to go upstairs.

Shiro is putting the bag of stuff he got under Keith’s and my bed when I walk in. Keith is lying on his back under my comforter and staring at the ceiling. Shiro sees me and smiles as he stands. “Hey Lance, me and Matt are going to go back to bed. Just call if you need us.”

I nod and smile my thanks to him. “Thank you Shiro.” I am sure we will be fine until morning though. I wait for Shiro to leave before I walk over to the bed and lay down next to Keith. He avoids my eye contact as I slip under the blanket with him and cuddle up to his side. I put the candy down on the side table because I don't think either of us will touch it until morning.

“Hey Keith.” I greet, trying to start a conversation. I know we are both tired and want to sleep, but I don't think it is good for us to just go to sleep; Keith is still upset about what has happened tonight and he is stressing over the rest of today. I want to try to get him to relax before he sleeps, even if it is just a little. I don't like seeing him suffer so much.

Keith sighs and leans his head into mine. “Hey.” He replies, his voice still raspy and kind of broken from earlier, and yawns shortly after. He doesn't do much else. It's quiet in our room, but I don't like it like. It's awkward instead of inviting.

I speak up again. “Do you want to do something? Or do you want to sleep?” Keith looks exhausted from the struggle he just endured, but he might not want to sleep yet. I want to give him the choice.

Keith sighs. “I need to sleep.” He responds softly as he lifts his head away from mine. He finds a more comfortable position while still laying on his back and relaxes. I watch his face as he bites his lip for a second. “Um…” He starts again, struggling to find words. “C-could you lay on me?” He asks, his cheeks flushing a bright magenta. He’s embarrassed to ask. “I won't be able to move when I wake up again...I don't want to be alone when I do...”

I smile and move the blanket so I can climb on him. I lay down with my head next to his on the pillow and curl my arms to my sides so they're out of the way. I slot one of my legs in between Keith's and relax, noticing that Keith’s hips feel different, almost softer. I lift the blanket curiously to see why it feels so different and see a bit of white sticking out from the waistband of Keith’s sweatpants all around his waist.

I gaze up at Keith again and silently ask him for permission to look. Keith gazes back and sighs after a few seconds. “Go ahead.” He says as he closes his eyes. He doesn't want to see my reaction to whatever I'm about to see. I have a pretty good idea of what it is, but I am trying to keep an open mind.

Before I can hesitate or change my mind I gently lift the waistband of Keith’s sweat pants and see that, instead of boxers, he’s wearing a diaper. It's plain and not decorated at all, but I can't help but stare. Now I get why Keith is so upset, he feels humiliated. For the next day he’s going to lose his ability to move and control his body, he won't be able to get up to use the bathroom, assuming he’ll even be able to control when he goes. He’s expected to use this, somebody is going to know instead of him being able to walk away and use the bathroom without anyone knowing. He’ll be forced to be cared for like a baby.

I gently replace the waistband of his sweatpants and look up at his face again. His eyes are open again and they're filled with uncertain worry- he’s scared i'm going to laugh or leave because he’s a sixteen year old teen wearing a diaper. But I don't do either, I couldn't bring myself to even if I tried. “So you need these?” I ask instead as I lay down over him again. I already know the answer, but I don't want an awkward silence to fall over us. That would make Keith more anxious.

Keith nods but doesn't say anything. I don't expect him to. I reach one of my hands up to pet his ear in an attempt to offer some comfort and say, “I don't mind.” I don't want Keith to worry so much when he has nothing to worry about. He’s sick, I really don't care that he has to wear diapers for a day. I won't even be the one changing him (I'm one-hundred percent sure) so there's nothing for me to be upset about.

Keith still doesn't say anything. I sigh and close my eyes. He’s tired, I'll stop bothering him. “Goodnight.” I whisper before I drift off, hoping that in the morning Keith will have recovered enough to have some fun. At some point I will have to go get my things from my house though. I'm not looking forward to that.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I own nothing.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's the first morning of Keith's sedative induced paralysis. Lance finds things for them to do to keep them from being too bored.

I feel something move underneath me and it wakes me up. I groan a little and cuddle farther into what I'm laying on, trying to go back to sleep. I'm still exhausted, but I can tell it's morning by the amount of light in my room. So then why am I so tired?

I suddenly remember the whole ordeal with the ER last night and jolt awake. I'm laying on Keith just like how I was when I fell asleep, but unlike last night he’s crying. He is much quieter than the other times I have heard him cry so far, but it sounds like it's because his voice is still strained and raw from his sobbing earlier. My mind immediately infers that he had a nightmare and I pull him into a hug. “It's okay Keith. I'm here.” I promise, trying to comfort him in the same way I did after his first nightmare.

Keith barely shakes under me. He doesn't hug me back and he doesn't hide his face in my shoulder. The sedative probably already kicked in all the way, leaving him unable to move. I feel so bad for him, it must be terrifying to wake up from a nightmare paralyzed.

Unfortunately, just like before I am unable to completely calm Keith down by myself. Maybe if he wasn't immobile I would be able to calm him down, but because he can't move he’s getting stressed out and he keeps crying. I feel bad that I can't make him feel better.

“Do you want Shiro?” I ask, wondering if seeing his brother will make him feel better. It probably will, and regardless of his answer I'll go get his brother. But I remember how upset Keith looked before we went to sleep because he felt like a baby, so I decide to talk to him and let him chose before I do anything. I want him to feel like he has a choice.

Keith hiccups and doesn't answer for a minute, at least in a way I notice. I search his face for changes in his expression and check his ears to see if they move in a yes or no, but I don't see anything. Keith starts crying harder after a minute, causing his already broken voice to shatter. That tells me that he can't answer, he’s getting stressed out because he can't and because I'm not doing anything. His throat has to be killing him from the way he sounds.

I lean down to give him a kiss and stand up. “I'll be right back.” I say before I go to Matt and Shiro’s room and knock. They should still be in there since it's still early. I am right, because Shiro opens the door a few seconds later.

“Keith needs you.” I say simply as I start walking back to my room, Shiro following behind me. I enter the room and sit down at the desk chair so Shiro can climb onto the bed with Keith and hug him tightly. I frown slightly when I hear Keith’s cries start to lower in volume almost immediately and can't help but feel a little jealous. Shiro and Keith are so close, I wish me and Keith could be like that. But I know we haven't interacted much in person, so the type of bond that causes Shiro to be so comforting to him hasn't had time to grow.

Shiro shushes Keith and gently pets his ears while he waits for the teen to stop crying. It doesn't take long for Keith to go quiet and relax against his brother. “You okay Keith?” Shiro asks as he pulls his hand away from his brother’s ears and waits for a response just like I did. However, unlike me he actually sees something.

He pulls away from Keith and pushes the blanket to the side. “Can you leave for a minute?” He asks me kindly as he gets down on one knee and pulls the bag of stuff he got from the store out from under the bed and puts it down next to Keith. He doesn't have to specify why he wants me to leave because I can easily figure out why on my own. It didn't take a genius to understand that he was going to change Keith. I nod and leave, shutting the door behind me.

While I wait for Shiro to take care of Keith I knock on Matt’s door. It would be nice to have his company for a little bit. Matt hums loudly for me to come in so I open the door and walk over to his bed. Matt is under the covers and watching me curiously. “Got kicked out of your room?” He asks, offering a little smile.

I smile and lay down on the bed next to him, over the covers instead of under them. “Yeah.” I don't mention why so I don't embarrass Keith. Only me and Shiro have to know.

I don't really know what to say to Matt, so I thank him for taking me in. “Thanks for letting me stay with you. It means a lot.” When I said I would leave last night I did so without thinking about where I would live after I was kicked out. Matt is so generous and such a good friend to let me stay with him. I don't think I can ever repay him.

Matt pulls a hand from under the blankets to ruffle my hair. “Don't mention it. I could use some company.” He says with a wider smile. “So how did you sleep?” He asks with a yawn, trying to change the topic.

“Alright.” I respond. I woke up to Keith crying again, which caused me to feel just as emotionally drained as earlier, but physically I feel okay. “I'm just worried for Keith.” How could I not be when he lives with nightmares, just went through a painful and embarrassing ER visit, which he’s already been through before, and now is paralyzed until the medicine he got wears off? I can't imagine being in Keith's shoes right now.

Matt nods. “He’ll be okay. Just make sure he knows you're okay with what he has to deal with until he’s better. Shiro told me that he really doesn't mind the aftercare, but because you're here he’s scared you're going to hate him.” He explains softly and slowly.

That's what Keith thought before he told me about his bedwetting problem online. “Thank you.” I was planning on doing what Matt suggested anyway, but hearing him explain why I should makes me feel better. If I prove to Keith I'm okay with it then he’ll get better. Maybe I can get him to smile and have some fun today too.

“You're welcome.”

There’s a gentle knock at the doorway and we both turn to see Shiro walking into the room. “I'm all done.” He says, not saying what he was doing in front of Matt either. I got off the bed so Shiro could climb back in with his boyfriend and leave to go back to Keith. He needs some comfort and affection right now. I know I would.

When I walk back into my room Keith is laying in the same position as before. I don't know why I expect him to have moved. I offer him a wide smile as I get back into the bed and cuddle up to him. “Hey Keith.” I lay on him like before and pet his ears, hoping to at least get a purr out of him. Purring means happy Keith.

It takes a few minutes, but Keith does purr in response to the petting. I smile a little wider at the small accomplishment. “I love you Keith.” I say as I lift my head and gently place a kiss on his cheek. “I won't stop loving you because you're sick.” I feel the temptation to tease him a little, like I normally do when we talk online to lighten the mood, but I don't because it will probably make Keith feel worse instead of better.

I pull away so I can see Keith’s face. He’s smiling a little but there are tears in his eyes. I gently wipe them away and guess, “Those are happy tears?” I remember that Keith told me he cried when I accepted him after he said he was a bedwetter, so I assume that his tears now are for the same reason. He’s happy that I'm okay with it.

Keith blinks slowly in what I take for a yes. I grin and lower my head to his chest. “I'll get up and make us something to eat in a minute.” I promise. Keith must be hungry by now. But I think he needs to be cuddled more.

I lay with him for a few more minutes before I get up. I don't want to leave him here though, if I was him I wouldn't want to be confined to a bed for the whole day. Especially alone, even if it was only for a few minutes. But I don't know if I'm strong enough to carry him, and I don't want to bother Shiro again. I want to try to carry him though. I sit down in between Keith’s legs and gently pull his upper body to mine. I throw his arms over my shoulders and manage to get him onto my lap so I can turn and swing my legs off the bed. I stay like that for a minute to gather him in my arms first, finding to my amazement that I can hold him up with only minor difficulty. I'm not very strong, I shouldn't be able to hold him so easily. He doesn't feel like he weighs enough. But I still worry that I might drop him despite how light he is.

“We definitely need to get you something to eat.” I say as I get to my feet. It is easier to carry him because of our height difference as well, so it isn't too awkward with his legs dangling around my hips. I carefully leave my room and walk down the stairs, taking them one step at a time so I don't slip and fall.

Keith leans against my chest calmly, trusting that I won't drop him. He feels too light but at the same time his weight is comfortable in my arms. It is also different to feel a thick tail hanging over my arm and the extra layer of softness Keith’s diaper causes, but I'll get used to that.

I walk into the living room and gently lay Keith down on the couch. I make sure his limbs aren't lying at weird or uncomfortable angles before I leave him to go make some food. I survey everything in the kitchen before I choose what to make. Shiro bought a ton of easy to chew foods- like oatmeal, fruit to make smoothies, applesauce, and pudding- but unfortunately none of it was going to be very filling. Keith would have to eat a lot to satisfy his hunger on this stuff, but if Shiro made the effort to get it all that means that Keith won't be able to eat anything else.

I eventually chose to make Keith oatmeal for breakfast; oatmeal is fast (Shiro got the instant kind) and an everyday breakfast item. I hope that feeding Keith something that doesn't fall into the category of ‘baby foods’ will make him feel less upset. Everyone eats oatmeal, he shouldn't have a problem with it.

A minute later I have a decent sized bowl of oatmeal, cooled down enough to not burn whoever eats it. So far I haven't seen Keith eat a lot, but he needs to try and eat more. I am convinced he doesn't weigh enough. Besides, whatever he doesn't eat I can finish.

In an afterthought I grab a few napkins before I walk into the living room. I don't grab them because I expect Keith to make a mess; yesterday Keith seemed very adamant about keeping the pizza from touching his lips. He’ll probably get really upset if there’s food on his lips while he eats, so I'll make sure to keep them clean.

I put the bowl and napkins down on the coffee table and sit Keith up. “I'm back.” I announce, smiling in greeting. I sit down next to him and pick the bowl of oatmeal up. “I made you some breakfast, I hope you're hungry.”

Keith opens his mouth almost immediately, which makes me smile. It's nice to know that he isn't upset about being spoon fed, or at least he won't be stubborn about it. I put a spoonful of oatmeal in Keith’s mouth and let him bite down before I pull the spoon out again. I wanted to act like the spoon was an airplane once- just once- to tease Keith, but I didn't. It was so hard not to, but I didn't because I knew Keith would refuse to eat, at least when it came to me. And there was a big possibility he would cry too, and I wasn't about to do that to him.

Keith doesn't seem to mind the spoon touching his lips, but he still makes faces when the oatmeal does. I quickly wipe his mouth clean every time he makes a face and do my best to keep the food from touching the corners of his mouth. He steadily accepts the food I offer him calmly and without complaint as a result, which makes me happy.

I get him to finish most of the food in the bowl before he stops accepting the small bites I am giving him. I quickly finish the rest of the oatmeal and get up to put the bowl and spoon in the sink, deciding that I can wait to eat until later. I have a little in my stomach now and I want to be there for Keith.

I sit down on the couch next to him again and lean us both into the space between the back of the couch and the armrest to cuddle. I lay Keith down in the crook of my arm and rest his head on my chest and lay my head on his. “Do you want to watch tv?” I offer, lifting my head to look at his eyes. Keith’s eyes close and don't open again, which I figure means no. I think he just wants to sleep.

I lay my head down again. “Take a nap Keith. I'll wake you up in a few hours.” I don't know for sure exactly when they occur, but I know that Keith's nightmares start after he’s been asleep for a few hours. If I wake him up he shouldn't have to suffer through another nightmare. I hope the promise to wake him up encourages him to sleep.

However, I realize quickly that I used the wrong word choice. Keith lets out a tired and slightly upset moan in response to my suggestion that he take a nap. I guess Keith doesn't normally take naps and thinks that taking one now makes him feel like a little kid.

I quickly speak up again before he has time to linger on that. “Everyone takes naps Keith.” I say softly. “Needing a nap doesn't make you a baby. Just relax and go to sleep. You'll feel better.” I encourage as I gently kiss his ear. It twitches and folds down from the touch, which reminds me of my dog. Her ears always twitch away when I try kissing them when she is upset.

Keith has this weird pout he does for a few minutes- his tail thumps against the couch cushions a little in frustration and he’s frowning- before he falls asleep. I keep quiet to not wake him up and wait a while before I dare to leave the couch so I can eat. Keith doesn't stir when I slide out from underneath him and stand up, so I walk into the kitchen and make something for myself to eat.

I eat cereal, since it's my favorite breakfast food, and sit down at the kitchen table where I can see Keith. I'm afraid I'll wake him up if I eat something that makes such loud crunching noises right next to him so I keep my distance. Keith doesn't seem to notice I'm gone as he continues to sleep.

It feels like it takes awhile, but I finish eating my food and lay down with Keith again. Time feels like it is passing so slow since I'm just laying around with Keith. I wanted to do a lot of things today with him, but today we’ll be lounging around the house because he's sick. I'm not upset or complaining, but I am a little bored.

Shiro comes downstairs to get something to eat a few minutes later. He smiles when he sees Keith asleep. “Did he eat yet?” He asks, stopping to wait for my answer before he goes to get something for himself. He always seems to put his brother first. That makes me smile.

“Yeah he did. Oatmeal.” I reply, motioning with my hands to describe how much he ate.

Shiro nods. “Thank you Lance.” He says seriously. “Keith is lucky to have you.” He disappears into the kitchen to go get himself some breakfast, leaving me in a semi silence with Keith again.

I smile. “You're welcome.” I say softly even after Shiro is gone. It feels good to be wanted and needed. If anything, I am lucky to have Keith, not the other way around. Keith is so sweet and loving and cute and surprisingly protective of me if the confrontation with my mother was any indication. I wonder if it's a Galra thing.

It's quiet for a minute before Shiro comes back to the living room with a glass of water. He smiles at me again in greeting and sits down on the edge of the couch. “I’m gonna wake him up to drink some water. He needs to drink a lot today so he doesn't get an infection.” He explains as he puts the glass down on the coffee table. He leans forward and gently holds Keith down out of habit as he bites his ear.

Keith twitches at the bite and opens his eyes, immediately closing them again when he sees me cuddling him. I smile at him and sit us up to help Shiro out. “Morning Keith.” I greet, enjoying the cute look on his face as Shiro fully wakes him up. He’s still really tired and reluctant to wake up.

Shiro gets him to open his mouth and holds the glass to his lips. He slowly tilts the glass so he can drink, making sure to stop every few seconds so Keith could breathe. He gets Keith to drink the whole thing without a problem. It's when he gets up to refill the cup that Keith doesn't want to drink anymore.

I can easily figure out it's because he doesn't want to pee. He needs to drink a lot and pee a lot so the build up of all the gunk that his body couldn't get rid of earlier doesn't make him sicker. But Keith doesn't really want to do that because he has to use the diapers instead of use the bathroom. Unfortunately, he doesn't have much of a choice because he has an insistent older brother.

Shiro holds Keith’s nose closed so he can't breathe and waits patiently for him to open his mouth to suck in some air. This is much easier for him with Keith unable to struggle away from him. After a minute Keith groans and opens his mouth with an upset glare aimed at his brother. He takes a deep breath before Shiro tilts the glass to his lips again. Once Keith starts drinking the water Shiro lets go of his nose. Keith doesn't try to refuse the water again. He knows Shiro will just hold his nose again.

After Keith finished the second cup of water Shiro leaves him alone. He stands to put the cup in the sink and goes back upstairs to Matt’s room since Keith doesn't need anything else. I lean back and lay Keith down in the crook of my arm again, ready to go back to cuddling. Keith doesn't seem so eager though, he’s upset at Shiro and thumping his tail again in frustration.

I pet his ears and give him a kiss on the cheek. “Do you want to go back to sleep?” I ask even though I'm pretty sure the answer is no. Keith confirms my thoughts with a frown and a bat of his eyelashes.

I frown a little at how upset he looks. Why can't I keep that frown off his face lately? “Do you want to try the face masks?” I suggest, wondering if he will agree to doing them. It would give me something to do other than just laying here with him and I could possibly get him to go back to sleep- I have ingredients like lavender to help him relax.

Keith takes a second to think before he answers. He gives a long blink to say yes and then closes his eyes. Keith will probably fall asleep from the mask once he gets over his frustration with Shiro. I pull Keith into my lap and gather him in my arms again so I can carry him upstairs. Going up is harder than going down, but I manage to get up the stairs without falling or dropping Keith.

I lay Keith down in the middle of my bed and tuck him under the covers. I then grab my things to make the face masks and put everything down on my nightstand. I decide to put lavender, mint, and honey in them this time. I can see why Keith said he couldn't wear face masks now, it’s going to mat his fur. I hope this doesn't feel gross to him.

I mix everything together in a small shallow bowl while Keith watches me. His nose twitches a little at the scent of the mask and his ears flicked at the sound of me mixing it up. He’s so interested it's cute. I hold the bowl under his nose, curious to see if his reaction changes. His nose twitches faster at the stronger smell but other than that he doesn't react, which kind of disappoints me. I was hoping for at least a cute kitty sneeze.

I put the bowl down and stand up to find a hair clip so I can pin Keith’s bangs back. I grab a plain black one and use it to hold Keith's hair away from his face. “Okay, this stuff might feel cold at first.” I warn as I pick up the bowl again and sit down next to Keith.

I scoop up some of the mask in two fingers and put it on Keith's cheek. His reaction is immediate: he grimaces and folds his ears down at the feeling. He’s obviously not fond of it. “Do you want me to stop?” I ask cautiously, pulling my hand back and waiting for his response before I continue. I don't want to stress him out anymore than he already is.

Keith flicks his ears forward, which I assume is his way of trying to tell me I can continue. I take more in my hand and start smearing it in his face again, being sure to keep it out of his eyes and mouth. His ears are still low and he’s still frowning, but I think it's just because he isn't used to it. By the time I finish putting the mask on him he’s purring, surprisingly. I smile. He likes it.

I stand to grab another pin, one to hold my own bangs back so I can put the rest on my face. I need a mirror to do my mask though, which means I'll have to leave Keith alone and go into the bathroom. “I'll be right back, I'll just be in the bathroom.” I say before I leave so he knows. Keith just purrs on my bed, his eyes closed and his ears finally peeking forward again in happiness.

I can't stop myself from smiling just like him while I put in my own mask. For the first time since yesterday, my marks change to a soft green, and the chalky grey finally fades. I'm so happy that Keith is finally having fun, even though he’s paralyzed and at the mercy of me and his brother. I made him happy again.

I finish with my mask and bring the bowl i mixed it in downstairs so I can clean it. I wash and dry it quickly so I can go back upstairs and put it back where I found it. Keith hasn't changed much, he’s still calm and happily relaxing on my bed. The only sign I have that he knows I'm there is that one of his ears swivels in my direction as I walk in. I put the bowl on my shelf and lay down next to Keith, on my back so I don't mess up my mask.

I let it be quiet for a minute before I start talking again. It's a calm silence, filled with the soft sound of Keith’s purrs. The sound is almost entrancing. “The mask has to stay for another half hour until I can take it off.” I say softly. I don't expect an answer, I just let the comment float in the air.

The thirty minutes fly by. I sit up and get out of bed to clean my mask off first; Keith can keep his on a little longer, he’s so content with it he won't mind. I quickly clean the mixture off of my face in the bathroom and unclip my bangs. I grab a face cloth and grab my bowl from my shelf to fill with water. I bring both items back to my room and put the bowl on the night stand. I wordlessly start cleaning the mask off his face, making sure nothing is left behind in his fur. He reacts to me taking it off much better than me putting it on; he only lowers his ears if I'm a little too rough when I try to dislodge stuck on pieces of mask.

Five minutes later, I manage to get everything out of his fur. “That's a pain to clean up.” I sigh as I take the bowl to the bathroom to dump the water. I put it back and throw the cloth in the laundry. After I finish with that I sit down next to Keith and gently stroke his cheek with my thumb. “Your fur is really soft now.” I comment. His fur feels even sillier than before. “It might actually be worth it to do this once a week.”

Keith purrs a little louder. He agrees with me. I smile a little wider and sigh softly. “I have to leave for a little bit. Shiro is going to be here still, but me and Matt have to go pack up my stuff. You'll get to see all my art stuff.” I say, my voice lowering a little in soft sadness. My marks swirl with dark blue. I really don't want to do this, but I have to.

Keith stops purring and opens his eyes, the sides of his lips turning down in a frown. I copy his face and say, “Don't be sad Keith, I'll be right back. And I'll be fine, I promise.” I don't want his mood to turn south again because of my problems. I want him to stay happy. “You can always take another nap and I'll be back by the time you wake up.” I offer.

I sigh with relief when Keith closes his eyes. I lay down with him and cover us with a blanket. I have to leave in twenty minutes, so hopefully he’ll go to sleep before then. “Sweet dreams Keith.” I whisper and cup his cheek to turn his face enough for me to kiss his other cheek. It's enough to bring back his purr, although it's low and almost nonexistent.

Keith falls asleep in ten minutes, his face relaxing completely and his mouth falling open slightly. I smile at him and quietly get up once I know I won't wake him up. I lay another blanket over him to make up for the loss of my heat and tuck it around him to keep him warm. After one last kiss on his ear I leave to find Matt.

“I'm ready.” I announce as I stick my head through Matt’s bedroom doorway. He’s grabbing his tool box and anything else we might need to dismantle my bigger furniture. Shiro is dressed and sitting on the bed, scrolling on his phone.

Matt sees me and smiles softly. “Okay, I'm ready too. The truck is on its way to your mom’s. Should be there a little before us.” He says as he grabs the last of his tools and slings a tool belt over his shoulder. “Bye Shiro, we’ll be back in two hours.” He calls over his shoulder as he walks out.

“Bye Matt. Bye Lance.” Shiro calls back as he puts away his phone and stands up. He smiled at me too when he sees I'm still in the doorway.

I offer a smile back to be polite. “Keith’s sleeping, he just fell asleep.” I inform him before I turn and follow Matt downstairs. I hear Shiro thank me before I'm out of earshot.

Matt gets in the driver's seat of his car and I climb in the passenger’s seat. We buckle ourselves in and he starts the car. The car idles for a minute while it warms up and we sit quietly. I don't really want to be talking right now, I just want to go, get my stuff, and come back. I would rather be at Matt’s with Keith then have to do this. Especially right now.

Once the car is warmed up Matt pulls out of the driveway and starts driving to my mom’s house. “So what are we taking?” He asks quietly. I know he’s trying to start a conversation as much as he actually wants to know so he’s prepared.

I sigh but respond. “My bed, my shelves, my easel, all of my painting and drawing stuff, my clothes, and my decorations.” I don't really own a lot, which will make it easier to move. Most of it is going to stay in Matt’s garage anyway- he uses it as a storage room more than an actual garage- so once we get back to his place there won't be much left to do.

Matt nods. “Are you going to try and say goodbye to your family?” He asks cautiously, knowing how sore of a subject that it to me.

I'm actually very torn about that. I do want to say goodbye because I will never see them again, but they'll most likely be rude to me and spew nothing but hateful comments. There's no doubt in my mind that my mother already told the whole family that I'm dating a Galra. I'll be lucky if I get anything other than a hateful glare. “I'll try.” I whisper anyway. I want to at least try so I can walk away knowing I offered peace.

“Good.” Matt replies softly. He lets it be quiet for the rest of the ride, which I'm thankful for. I use the silence to prepare myself to see my closest family members scrutinize me. I work on accepting that that's how they are, and I can't change it. It's not my fault that they're being racist towards me and Keith.

When we arrive at my mother’s house I wish we took longer to get here. Just like Matt said moving truck is already here. The door to the house is propped open but no one is standing there and waiting for me and Matt.

I sigh and unbuckle my belt. I want to get this over with. Matt unbuckles and get out and starts grabbing the tools he’ll need to dismantle my bed. While he does that I walk up to the truck and greet the driver. He’s nice enough, strong and quiet. He’s just here to do his job, but he isn't rude, he’s polite. It's more than I could ask for.

Matt walks over to us with a tool belt around his waist and a big toolbox in his left hand. “Okay, i’m ready.” He announces as he pats my shoulder with his free hand. I look at him and smile. I need his support. I'm thankful he’s willing to give it.

Matt and the moving guy follow me inside the house and to my room; it's on the second floor at the end of the hallway. It's a simple blue room that looks more like an art studio than a bedroom. I have a lot of art stuff, I love to paint and draw.

Matt and the moving guy immediately start on dismantling my bed and bring the pieces to the truck as they pull them off the frame. While they do that I work on filling my two suitcases I didn't take to Matt’s already with the rest of my clothes. After that I pack all of my art stuff back into the boxes they came in and in suddenly happy I don't throw away anything.

By the time I finish with that my bed is in the truck already. All that's left to do is move the rest of my furniture to the truck and put my clothes and art stuff in Matt’s car. I take down the smaller stuff while the other two grab the stuff that's too heavy for me to carry.

Not even ten minutes later, we’re completely done. It doesn't even take us an hour to put all of my stuff in the truck and car. I'm slightly relieved that we don't have to be at my mother’s longer, but im also extremely sad. That's how little I own.

The moving guy gets in the truck and starts driving to Matt’s house after he’s given directions. Matt waits for me in his car while I attempt to say goodbye to my family. The first person I say goodbye to is my little sister, Elissa; she is the only person that is never truly mean to me. I'm the one who watches her most of the time, so her and I are very close. Her loss is going to hurt the most.

Elissa is in her room playing with her dolls. She’s wearing a pretty pink flowery dress and a pink scrunchie to hold her soft brown hair back in a ponytail. She hears me walk in and turns to face me, her blue eyes twinkling at the sight of me as her lips spread in a smile.

“Lance!” She cheers as she jumps to her feet, dolls forgotten on the floor as she runs to give me a hug. She barely reaches my hip and it's so endearing I want to cry. I crouch down so I can properly hug her while she tries to give me a crushing bear hug, which I normally do to her. But I can't bring myself to do it today.

“Hey Elissa.” I greet in return, smiling wide even though my eyes are already swimming with tears. “You look so pretty today. Did you do all this yourself?” I ask as we pull away from each other, but we don't move past arms length.

She nods excitedly and twirls. “Mama got it for me yesterday! Do you like it?” She asks, playing with the hem and smoothing it out. She’s smiling wide enough for me to see the tooth she lost a few days ago, her first molar after her canine on the bottom left side. My heart aches as I remember how she jumped around excitedly, showing everyone her tooth and completely ignoring me as I try to take care of her bleeding gums.

I cup her cheeks and tilt her head so I can give her a kiss on the forehead. “I love it.” I reply, a tear slipping down my cheek as I let her go.

“Did mama tell you that I'm leaving?” I ask, trying to keep my wobbling voice from breaking completely. I don't want Elissa’s last image of me to be my tear streaked face.

Elissa’s smile fades, but she doesn't frown. “Yeah, mama told me when she came home from work yesterday.” She says. “But mama says that I can still go to play at uncle Matt’s house, so I'm not sad!” She chirps, her smile returning again like she just remembered the last part.

My heart twinges happily at that. My mother is actually going to let her do that? “That's great Elissa.” I say, the tears falling faster, but now it's in happiness instead of sadness. “Are you going to come over for your birthday in two weeks? Or the day after?”

Elissa nods again. “Mama said I can come over in the morning so I can still do dinner with the family.” She says. “What are you getting me?”

I laugh a little, more tears falling from my eyes as I squeeze my eyes shut. “You have to wait and see.” I tease as I ruffle her hair, messing up her ponytail a little.

Elissa laughs and pulls away. “Don't mess my ponytail!” She cries as she grabs my hands and tries to trap them together like they're in handcuffs.

I laugh again and let her hold me captive. “Hey now, if you take me as your prisoner I can't say bye to mama or Sophie.” I say as I struggle against her hands, gentle enough to not hurt her or actually break through.

Elissa gasps and immediately lets me go. “I DRESSED SOPHIE IN A DRESS!!” She chromed excitedly as she grabs my wrist and tries to pull me downstairs. “Come look!” She cries as she gives up on dragging me and instead runs down the stairs to find their dog.

I smile hard enough to make my cheeks hurt as I get up to follow her. This is going so much better than I hoped it would. I walk down the stairs and see Elissa laying on the floor, her butt slightly in the air while she sticks her head behind the couch. She’s trying to coax the dog out from behind the couch. “Come on Sophie don't you wanna show Lance your pretty outfit?”

I roll my eyes at her and pull her dress further down to cover her but. “Your six Elissa, there are boys in the house who don't wanna see your bum anymore.” He teased as he put a knee on the couch and leaned over the back to grab Sophie.

Elissa stuck her tongue out and sat up. “You're the only boy in the house.” She countered.

“Point?” I ask as I get a hand under Soohie’s chest and lift her up. She’s a small little Yorkshire terrier, she’s only about nine months old. She’s wearing a Christmas theme dress and a matching hat. I turn to look at Elissa and cradled Sophie to my chest. “Isn't it a little early for Christmas?”

Elissa reaches out for Sophie. “I was seeing if it would fit! She likes it anyway.” She defends as I carefully hand her our dog.

I smile. “As long as she likes it.”

“So where's mama?” I ask, sitting down properly on the couch. I haven't seen my mother anywhere in the house even though I've been in almost every room in the house. Except her room, but I'm never allowed in there without permission. No one is.

Elissa points to my mother’s bedroom door. “She’s in there.” She says as she jumps Sophie on the sofa next to me. Sophie runs before Elissa can put her in anymore clothes and Elissa jumps in my lap. “I'm gonna go take off her dress before mama yells at me. Bye!” She cries as she gives me a tight hug and then jumps off of my to run upstairs, calling Sophie's name loudly.

“Bye!” I call after her as she runs away. I stand and walk over to my mother’s door, I've been having a good time saying goodbye to Sophie, I don't want to have my mother reject me and end the experience on a bad note.

Before I can chicken out I gently knock on the door. “Mama?” I call softly, listening hard for any response. “Me and Matt are all done packing my stuff. I've already said goodbye to Elissa and Sophie.

“I heard that you're letting Elissa come over Matt’s place to see me. Thank you for that.” I say, fiddling with my fingers. “Goodbye.” After I finish talking I wait for a minute, hoping that my mother might open her door and at least bid me a goodbye face to face.

She’s quiet though. “Goodbye.” I say again as I turn to leave. I'm not getting a goodbye in return or a hug. But I got those things from Elissa, and that's enough.

I walk out of the house and I prop the door so it closes. I then get in Matt’s car and sigh. I'm full of a mix of happiness and sadness and I don't know how to react. I buckle myself in and lean back.

It's quiet for a moment while Matt pulls away. He drives a few streets down and then pulls over again; he just wanted to get away from the house before he talked to me. I'm kind of happy he does.

“So how'd it go?” He asks, turning in his seat to look at me. He doesn't have to specify for me to know that he’s talking about the goodbyes.

I swallow. “Elissa took it well. My mama is allowing her to come over and see me, I'm even going to see her on her birthday.” I say, not even realizing I'm crying until I hear my voice squeak and see the corners of my vision blur with tears. I then turn to Matt, not even sure what emotion my tears represent.

Matt leans over the middle of the car to hug me. I bury my face in his shoulder and continue crying. “I'm not completely losing her, but I won't be able to see her grown up anymore.” I whimper. “She’s so young, she doesn't have a father figure. I was the only male in her life that she could look up to.”

Matt rubbed my back comfortingly. “It's good that your mother is still going to let you see Elissa.” He soothes. “Elissa will be fine. She’s a strong little girl.”

I nod and hiccup into his shoulder. “She’s my strong little girl.” I reply before breaking down completely. I don't even know how long I cry, but Matt holds me through it and rubs my back quietly.

When I calm down enough to pull away Matt pats my shoulder. “Cheer up buster, you've got another person that wants to see you at my place.” He reminds me gently as he starts the car again and begins to drive to his house.

I smile and wipe my eyes with my sleeve. “Yeah.” I agree. “Do you think I can get mama to let Elissa come over and meet Keith one day this week?” I ask hopefully. Keith loves kids, I know he’ll love Elissa. Elissa will love Keith too, she’ll be amazed by his tail and fur.

Matt smiled as well. “Only one way to find out.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I own nothing.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lance's move out takes an unexpected turn.

It doesn't take us long to get back to Matt’s house. The moving guy is already there and has been waiting for a bit, so he already started moving things into the house. Specifically, he’s moved my bed pieces and my larger furniture I wouldn't be actively using to the garage under Shiro’s supervision. Which leaves my art stuff and clothes in Matt’s car. I don't have to do much to finish unpacking.

While Matt thanks and pays the moving guy I grab my stuff from the back of Matt’s car and bring it inside. When I walk inside I can see Shiro cuddling with Keith on the couch; Keith looks like he’s fast asleep. Shiro’s covering his ears so we don't wake him up with any loud banging, but Keith doesn't seem bothered at all.

I climb the stairs and put my stuff on the bed in my new room. It's the same one I've been sleeping in for two days, but it's now mine, so it feels new. I start putting my clothes in the empty bureau and closet right away and decide to leave my art stuff in their boxes at the foot of the bed on the floor. I'll unpack them when I use them.

Just as I decide I'm happy with where everything is I hear a knock at the door. “Yeah?” I call as I turn to face the doorway.

Matt pops his head through the doorway and smiles. “Hey. How’s everything coming along?” He asks, but I can tell that's not the primary reason why he came up here.

I sit down on my bed. “Good. Everything is put away for the most part.” I reply. “What's up?”

Matt smirks at me. I know him well and he knows it. “Wanna take a break? You've been up here for like an hour. You can come chill with Keith and then come back if you want.”

I've already been up here for an hour? “Uh, yeah sure.” I was planning on coming down soon, since there is no point in staying up in my room alone. I would rather be downstairs cuddling with Keith. I open the door all the way so I can walk out of my room and walk down the stairs with Matt following behind me.

When I get downstairs Keith is still asleep. I wonder how long he’s been sleeping. Shiro sees me and smiles. “Do you want him?” He offers as he pulls Keith’s legs toward himself so there's an open space on the couch next to him.

I nod and sit down in the space. I like cuddling with Keith, he’s soft and warm from all the fur. Shiro picks Keith up bridal style and stands so he can sit Keith in my lap. He sits Keith sideways in my lap with his upper body leaning into my right side and his legs curled up next to my left thigh. I'll have to move us around in a minute so my legs don't fall asleep, but this works for now.

Shiro makes sure Keith won't fall and then moves away. “So we were planning on getting Chinese food for dinner tonight. Do you want that or something else?” He asks in a seemingly random manner.

“I like Chinese food.” I respond. “But what about Keith?” Does he like it? If I couldn't eat my favorite food and someone ate it in my face I would be pretty upset.

Shiro answers, “Keith can't eat it. He has a food intolerance for large amounts of oil, grease, and fat. So Chinese food really hurts his stomach. He won't want it.” I remember Keith saying something about how he can't eat more than three pieces of pizza at once, but he never explained why. Now I know.

“That kind of sucks.” That could also be a reason why Keith was so skinny. He literally can't eat junk foods.

“Has Keith eaten lunch yet?” I ask in a digression from the conversation.

“Yeah, I fed him while you guys were gone.” Shiro said.

I nod. “Okay.”

Shiro pats my shoulder. “Me and Matt are going to be upstairs.” He says mysteriously as he moved away and starts up the stairs.

I can't stop myself from asking, “Doing what?”

Matt wiggles his eyebrows at me suggestively. “Oh my god.” I groan with a slight laugh. “You guys are so nasty.”

Matt laughs and starts up the stairs with Shiro. “No we aren't!” He calls back before I hear his door shut.

I roll my eyes and smile. I can't believe them. I look down at Keith and see that he hasn't stirred from our voices. “Let's move a bit so I don't lose my legs.” I say even though I know he can't hear me. I hold him up with one arm and use my other to pull one of his legs over my lap so he’s straddling me. I pick him up and stand so I can sit differently, this time with my legs up on the couch.

I lay down completely and lay Keith down on me so that we’re both comfortable. I then push Keith’s legs down so they aren't up at my hips, which would probably hurt if I left them where they were. The end result is Keith laying over my left side, his head resting on my shoulder and his legs comfortably tangled with mine. His arms are tucked close to his body so they don't get trapped anywhere.

After a second I remember that Keith has a tail, so I reach down and gently pull it to lay over Keith’s thigh to save it from being accidentally crushed. I can't help but notice how thick and heavy his tail is while I move it. I felt it earlier when I was carrying Keith around, but actually picking the appendage up makes me realize it weighs more than I originally thought. It's pure muscle and bone.

Keith’s ears fold down when I touch his tail. I only notice because one of his ears brushed against my cheek, causing me to tilt my head in his direction. I rest a hand on his head between his ears and gently scratch behind them in apology. “Don't like that huh?” I say to myself.

Keith purrs softly after a minute of me scratching his ears. His ears perk up again in happiness, which makes me smile. I lay my hand down on his back and listen as his purrs lower in volume but don't fade.

I close my eyes and listen to him purr contently. I'm not tired enough to fall asleep with him, even if I am emotionally exhausted from Keith’s nightmares and being forced to leave my house. I don't mind not being able to sleep though, cuddling with Keith is a good pastime.

Shiro never told me how long Keith had been asleep before he went upstairs, so I decide to wake Keith up an hour after I lay down with him. To be sure he doesn't have a nightmare. I don't want to let him go through that again today and I don't think I'll be able to calm him down again without breaking down in tears.

I gently shake Keith’s shoulder. “Keith, wake up.” I call, waiting to see if it does anything. Keith doesn't even budge, which causes me to remember what Shiro said. Keith’s a kit...kits’ nerves shut down when they sleep…I have to be rough. But how rough? I've only seen Shiro wake him up by biting his ear, but I don't want to do that. What if I hurt him?

I try pinching one of his ears instead of biting them. It doesn't work past causing him to fold the ear down away from the pinch and causing his purrs to fade. I frown as I try thinking of something else. I try patting his back, talking in his ear, and messing around with his tail, but none of it works. However, that weird kink at the base of his tail comes back after I let his tail go. It's only slight this time, nothing like the huge hook I've seen before. I still don't know what that means.

Time to bother Shiro. I'm not risking hurting Keith just to wake him up. “Shiro!” I yell, hoping he hears me. He does hear me, because he comes downstairs a few minutes later, completely dressed and his hair neat. It doesn't look like he’s been doing anything that Matt’s little eyebrow wiggle implied.

“Can you wake him up? I don't want him to have a nightmare but I can't do it…” I explain, looking up at Shiro.

He blinks and sits down next to me. “Did you bite his ear?” He asks.

I shake my head. “I don't want to hurt him.”

“You won't.” Shiro assures me, but I shake my head. Shiro pats my shoulder sympathetically and sighs. “I'll wake him up for you. But he won't go back to sleep for a bit, just so you know.” He warns.

I furrow my brow in confusion. “Really? Why?” Keith hasn't had any problems with falling asleep as soon as he’s woken up, at least as far as I've known.

Shiro strokes Keith’s tail once. “He’s gotta pee.” He replies simply. “See how his tail’s up?” He prompts, pointing to the kink in the base of his tail.

Oh, that's what that means. That makes a lot more sense now. It must be an unconscious thing if he’s still doing it in his sleep. “I don't mind.” I reply. Me and Keith can talk until he goes back to sleep. Well, I can talk to Keith. He can't reply much.

Shiro flicks an ear and leans down to Keith’s head, gently holding him down with one hand as he bites his ear. He pulls away just as Keith jumps slightly, barely having enough strength to lift his head a centimeter off my shoulder. It looks like the sedative might be starting to wear off a little. “There you go. I'll keep my phone on me if you need to text me.” There’s also an implied ‘let me know when he needs to be changed,’ but it isn't said out loud because Keith’s awake and he doesn't want to upset him.

I nod and look at my phone, which is sitting on the coffee table with arm's reach. “Thanks Shiro.” I say with a smile as I look up at him again. He meets my eyes with an unspoken ‘good luck,’ to which I reply, ‘thanks I'll need it.’ I haven't been around Keith yet while he’s needed to pee since he got sedated, but I can tell he’s going to be upset and moody the whole time. At least I know that already so I won't be hurt or offended because of any of Keith's reactions. Shiro waves and goes upstairs, leaving me and Keith alone on the couch. Keith seems calm enough now that he’s awake: his tail isn't thumping in annoyance and his ears are still forward.

“Hey. Did you sleep well?” I ask, trying to start a conversation. Keith’s ears bounce in a yes.

“Are you hungry?” I ask again, not asking him if he is thirsty because I know it’ll just make him upset. Shiro has probably been forcing him to drink a lot since me and Matt left, so he’s probably already had more to drink than he’ll need to for the rest of the day.

Keith folds his ears down in a no. “Okay.” I reply. I lift one of my hands to pet him again, which makes him purr after a few minutes. I always feel better when he’s purring. I love the sound and the feeling and it means Keith is happy.

We both lay quietly for awhile, and if I didn't know better I would think that Keith was asleep. The only indication that he isn't asleep is that his tail occasionally flicks side to side like something's pissing him off. He’s probably upset at Shiro for making him drink so much earlier.

It takes an hour of silence for him to give up thrashing his tail for whimpering. He stops purring even though I'm still petting his ears, he even lowers his ears away from my hand because he’s so upset. I don't say anything, I don't want to accidentally say something that will make him cry.

Keith starts crying anyway when he can't hold it anymore. I can feel the heat on my hip as he pees and I can hear it too and Keith knows I can, which makes him cry harder. It feels weird since I haven't dealt with this since Elissa was in diapers three years ago, but the feeling isn't even close to making me want to get up and leave. Keith seems convinced i'm grossed out though, if the way he’s crying is any indication.

I patiently wait until he finishes before I say anything. I'm still petting his ears softly when I say, “Keith, it's okay. I'm still here. I'm not grossed out.” I gently wipe the tears from his eyes with my thumb and kiss his forehead. “So don't cry okay? Do you feel better?” I ask to try and give him some else to concentrate on instead of the fact he just peed in front of me.

Keith hiccups and hums a yes, but it's wobbly and sad. He doesn't stop crying right away and I don't expect him to. I pet him while I wait for him to calm down and whisper comfortingly in his ear. I wonder how different he would have reacted if he was cuddling with Shiro instead of me when he went.

By the time Keith stops crying the odd heat on my hip has faded. Once he’s calm I pick up my phone and text Shiro to let him know Keith needs to be changed. I put my phone down and turn my attention back to Keith while I wait for his brother. “Keith, do you still want to cuddle after Shiro cleans you up?” I ask softly.

It takes Keith a minute to think before he responds. He eventually hums another yes, his voice more stable and confident than a few minutes ago. I smile and kiss his ear in response. I'm happy to know he’s still willing to cuddle.

Shiro comes downstairs after a minute and smiles at me in a greeting. He crouches down to Keith’s level to talk to him and says, “Hey Keith. Let's go upstairs for a minute okay?” Keith’s ears flicker up for a second in agreement before Shiro gently pulls him to sit up by his armpits. In the second it takes for him to pick Keith up I can see the obvious bulge of the wet diaper in the crotch of his skinny jeans. I knew it was there before I saw it, but I can't help but stare for a second.

Keith whines upsetly when he notices me staring. I force myself to look up at him when I hear the noise and see him almost in tears again. “Oh Keith don't cry.” I plead as I stand up and give him a one armed hug over his brother’s shoulder.

Shiro stands still for a minute so I can hug Keith. He gently pulls away after that and bounces Keith up on his hips a little. Keith still looks like he’s about to cry and it makes my heart hurt. It's my fault he’s upset this time. I'm sorry for making him upset. “I'll be right back. He’ll calm down when he isn't sitting in a wet diaper anymore.” Shiro says as he turns to walk upstairs.

Keith gives a watery growl at his brother’s words and pulls his eyebrows together in frustration. Shiro pats his back and purrs comfortingly. “Come on Keith, Lance already knows. It's not like I told Matt.” He soothes, although I can tell it isn't the only reason why Keith is protesting. Keith feels like he’s being babied. Babies cry because of wet or dirty diapers, he doesn't like being compared to that.

Shiro carries Keith upstairs and I hear my bedroom door softly shut as he walks in. I sit up, sighing tiredly, and rub my eyes with the heels of my palms. I wish Keith didn't have to get sick and be so upset, especially on his first full day in England. This is supposed to be a fun trip. I feel so bad for the amount of times he’s cried already.

I'll try to make it up to him. I would pamper him right now if it wouldn't make him cry, so I have to wait until he’s off the sedative to do anything. We can always go zip lining and swimming- I've only been zip lining once and I loved it, and Matt has a swimming pool, it's warm enough to use it. Matt said he would be making itineraries as well. I wonder what he is planning.

I get up and use the bathroom before Shiro and Keith come downstairs again. I'm out and downstairs again before they're finished, which makes me worry a little. Shiro is probably just calming Keith down again, but that doesn't make me feel any better. It makes me feel worse; I upset Keith this time, it wasn't something else.

Shiro finally carries Keith downstairs on his hips twenty minutes later. He’s much calmer than before, but when Shiro sits down with Keith in his lap I find out it's because he’s sleeping. There are still dried tear tracks on his cheeks and there's a small frown on his face.

I realize I'm copying his frown when I ask, “He cried himself to sleep?” I look up at Shiro, who is resting his chin on his brother’s head and hugging him close. He’s purring to comfort Keith even though he’s sleeping, his purr sounding much deeper than Keith’s.

Shiro nods. “He feels miserable.” He says lowly. “No one can really make him feel better. Don't feel bad. He cried a little earlier when I changed him while you and Matt were gone. He doesn't like it and that's what’s bothering him the most.” He explains.

“But he’ll be okay right?” I ask worriedly. I turn on my hip and lean into the back of the couch so I can see Keith’s face better. “How much longer until the sedative wears off?”

“He’ll be fine. He has around fourteen hours left. He’ll be moving again by tomorrow morning when you guys wake up.” Shiro answers.

I sigh and nod. At least it's only for today. “Will he be wobbly tomorrow?” I ask curiously. It would be kind of cute if Keith was shaky on his feet for a little bit. I'm sure he won't mind much at that point since he won't be paralyzed at that point.

Shiro smiles and pats Keith’s back gently. “Probably. But only until he gets used to walking again.” Which means he’ll be fine after a few minutes.

I smile as well and go quiet. I watch Keith sleep for a while, not requesting to take him back. He’s comfortably sleeping in Shiro’s lap, I don't want to move him and possibly wake him up. He just fell asleep, his nerves might not have shut down yet.

Shiro is quiet too, aside from his purring. He cuddles Keith and licks the tears off of his cheeks, eventually starting to give his entire face and hair a tongue bath. I watch curiously while he does that, amazed by how unfazed Shiro is whenever he has to spit out a mouthful of violet fur into his hand. How does it taste? Does he not mind having all that fur in his mouth? What happens if he swallows any? Do Galra even take baths or showers?

Shiro noticed me watching him and smirks. “I can tell you're dying to ask questions.” He laughs in between licks. “You can ask. I won't be offended by anything you ask.”

I smile at his offer. “Yeah, I kind of am.” I laugh in return as I sit up a little. “What's the purpose of licking him? Does it actually get him clean?” I wonder.

Shiro spits out whatever fur is in his mouth so he can reply. “Most adult Galra don't get tongue baths, they're usually for kits who are too young to take baths in a tub. And yes they can be too young.” He adds with a smile when he sees my mouth fall open in surprise. Galra could be too young for a normal bath?

“Yes, it does get him clean. But at his age it's mostly for comfort.” He continues as he starts cleaning Keith’s hair again. “What else?”

I think for a second. “Um you know how you said earlier that the bump in Keith’s tail meant he had to pee? Does it do other things that mean something else?” I ask, speaking slowly so I don't mess my words up and say something that doesn't make sense.

“Yeah, it does. But all the unconscious movements will fade when he becomes an adult. It's also in his ears too.” He starts. “If he’s feeling sick his tail will hang limply. If he’s has a lot of pent up energy his ears will twitch really fast. There are a few others too, but I won't explain since Keith’s too old for them.”

I nod to myself while I think of another question. “What's the difference between a kit and an Altean or human child?” I wonder. Shiro’s said some things about Keith being a kit and how he doesn't wake up on his own and everything, but I want to know what else is different. I love kids and I consider myself a good caregiver for them, but I know nothing about kits.

Shiro snorts. “A lot.” He says simply as he smiles and rubs Keith's ears. “It depends on how old they are. But if we’re talking about babies, they need constant attention. Not close watch and taking care of them when they need food or something, constant care. There's no such thing as sleep for the parent of a newborn kit.

“When they're adolescents, kits need a lot more sleep than kids. They also get extreme separation anxiety that never really fades- you've seen how much Keith hates being away from me.” I nod at that. Keith can't leave the house without Shiro.

“When kits get to Keith’s age there isn't much of a difference anymore. They sleep the same amount, they need the same amount of care.”

“Why are they like that though?” I ask.

Shiro shrugs. “I'm not sure. I think it's to keep their mother from abandoning them. All of the constant care helps them bond with their mom.” That makes sense.

Shiro spits the last of the fur out of his mouth when he finishes licking Keith. “Do you want to have him back? I have to throw this away.” He says, holding the hand with the fur in it a little higher so I can see it. There's a lot, which makes me wonder how he could he that much off but Keith doesn't look any different.

I nod. “Please.” I say, waiting a second before I ask my last question. “Do Galra shed?” I haven't found any purple fur around the house yet, but maybe Shiro or Matt is just really fast and cleaning it up.

“Nope.” Shiro responds simply. “Here, you can take him before I stand.” He says as he moves his arm out of the way so I can take Keith. He can't trade him off like he did last time because he doesn't have two hands to pick him up.

I scoot over so we’re right next to each other and pull Keith’s chest to mine. Once he’s leaning against me I grab his shins and pull the rest of him into my lap so he’s sitting on me like he was on Shiro. Keith doesn't stir during the transition.

Shiro stands and walks into the kitchen to throw away the lump of fur in his hand and comes back a minute later. “I'll be upstairs again. Matt is probably gonna bust my hump for taking this long. I’m a call or text away.” He says before he walks upstairs again, leaving me and Keith alone.

I lean back into the couch and yawn. I'm starting to get tired. “Hurry up and get better okay Keith?” I whisper as I close my eyes. It won't hurt to nap with him for a little bit. We’ll have more time to talk tomorrow if we both catch up on our sleep today.

.o.O.o.

When I wake up, it's because I hear a sudden and loud scream. I jump awake and immediately look around for Keith, faintly wondering how long I've been asleep if he had a nightmare. I see Shiro sitting next to me, Keith cradled in his arms and shaking. Keith can't hide in Shiro’s chest, so Shiro gently presses his face into himself for him.

Shiro calms him down much faster than I've been able to. He has Keith calm within five minutes, even if he’s still a little shaken up and teary eyed. Shiro licks his tears away and purrs comfortingly until he’s relaxed again.

I swallow. “Did I not wake up?” I wonder, saddened by the fact that Keith might have cried for a few minutes before Shiro came to his rescue. I feel bad because I was the one watching him, I should have woken him up so he didn't have a nightmare.

Shiro shakes his head. “No, me and Matt were coming down to let you know the food would be here soon. I smelled the fear on Keith so I took him and woke him up.” He explains, his words having no hint of contempt in them.

That's when I notice Matt quietly sitting on the other couch. He smiles and waves at me when I look at him. I offer a small smile in return and look back to Keith.

He’s cuddled into his brother's chest, his hands curled into loose fists in front of his mouth. His eyes are still glistening with tears and he’s sniffling even though he’s no longer crying. Once of his legs hangs off of the couch and the other sprawls out on the couch between him and me. There’s a soft bulge in his pants again; he wet himself.

I don't stare like I did last time on accident and instead immediately turn my focus to Keith’s face again. I gently pet one of his ears and smile apologetically. “Sorry I didn't wake you earlier Keith.” If I woke him up he wouldn't have had a nightmare.

Keith closes his eyes and relaxes at my touch, almost like he’s saying he forgives me. He purrs softly, the sound slightly higher than usual because his voice is strained from all the crying and screaming. His purrs also sound lazy with exhaustion even though he just woke up from sleeping. He’s emotionally and mentally exhausted more than anything.

It doesn't take more than a few minutes of me petting Keith before he drifts off to sleep again. Once he’s out Shiro carefully gathers him in his arms and stands. “I'm going to lay him down.” He announces as he makes his way upstairs. Keith is going to sleep upstairs while we eat dinner.

Shiro comes back downstairs as the doorbell rings. He opens the door and greets the delivery person while Matt pulls out money to pay him and I grab plates and utensils. I come back as Matt is opening the bag with the food in it and putting it out. He throws the big bag away afterwards and sat down again to eat.

“Thank you guys.” I say as I started eating, my mind quickly drifting from what we are actually doing. All I can think about is Keith. I worry about him waking up upstairs, alone and afraid, and eat quickly so I can be there for him again. I would want someone there if I was him. I want to be there for him, to protect him from his inner demons, and I can only imagine how hard it is for him to live like this. I don't want him to have to deal with this again when he leaves in a week.

I plan on making this the best week of his life. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I own nothing.

**Author's Note:**

> This started as a roleplay and now it's its own au. I'm proud of it. 
> 
> Disclaimer: I own nothing.


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